a symbiote-powered teen looking for love
by yautjahybridlover18
Summary: own oc. takes place of old story. teen from Marvel jumps to Aya's world. he's seen the anime, and wants to be with her. he stops Nagi and her meeting. now he's the one getting married to her.bu he manages to make her wait. he has a past that he wants to run from. can he move on? it rests on Aya, because he's the only one he cares about now e can heal him, but will she? no flmz plz!


DISCLAIMER: I OWN NO CHARACTERS EXCEPT MY OC, AND MAYBE SOME OOC'S, IF THAT IS ALLOWED, BUT IF IT IS NOT, THEN I DO NOT, BUT ALL REFERENCES, SONGS, AND CHARACTERS GO TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS.

Chapter 1

I look down at the prosperous city of Japan. Skyscrapers, subways, and an academy where I _know _a girl I want to meet goes to. The Toudou Academy. The dimension hopper that I was given by Reed Richards says I am in this world. Sarah makes some tendrils to act as legs, but I stop her. Today is the first day of school, so Aya Natsume will be here for the first time. I change into a business suit and web-sling to the school.

_**Pretty risky, doing that in public without the suit.**_

_I know, Sarah. The symbiote suit is better for cover, but I felt like doing this. Besides, today is the day that maybe, we can finally forget about Amanda._

_**You know that she did that for us, Owen. Stop blaming yourself.**_

_I still feel guilty, sue me. Let's just forget it._

I walk into the school grounds, and see a bathhouse where Aya should be, and if I'm right, a guy named Nagi should be knocked into that, so I must prevent that, because what I know, I must _not _let it happen. So, I make a hammock web for Nagi to hit. I hear a motorcycle turning into the school grounds, and I know I'm early. But when I turn around, I see _two _motorcycles turn, one with Nagi and another with his better friend Bob. Nagi leaps off his motorcycle and grabs a gun. When he lands on the ground, he shoots the gas tank and the motorcycle catches on fire. Following the path, I see the motorcycle is going to hit straight into the bathhouse. Not thinking, I run inside, and I only hear Aya, covered by a towel, scream for a short instance before I grab her and curl my body around hers, shielding her from the blast.

Liquid fire sticks to my skin, and Sarah screeches in my mind in discomfort. Water rains down on us, and Sarah quiets down. I can't move. I try, but I can't. I hear Aya's sister, Maya, scream for Aya. When I hear her, I can move again. Rubble falls off of me, and I see Aya staring at me as I cradle her threshold style. I take off my jacket, though it's made of symbiote material, and wrap it around her, the material being supplied with nutrients by a thin, invisible tendril attached to me.

Aya looks at me and she sighs. She's only 5'3" with caramel hair and huge breasts, with creamy skin to compliment it. Brown eyes sit in a heart-shaped face, and those brown orbs stare at me. Being 6'5", only at 15, I easily tower over her. While she stares at me, Maya hits me in the shin with her strongest blow. Sarah takes the force and distributes it into the ground. Aya looks down from my face and sees her sister attacking me, and she screams "Maya! What are you doing to my husband?!"

My trance is broken when I hear the word "Husband". I look down at Maya and she is taken aback as much as I. When I finally figure out how to open my mouth, I say "Whoa! Whoa! Wait just a minute! Husband?! I just met you!"

Aya smiles at me. "Of course. I am Aya Natsume. In this family, the first man that sees a Natsume girl naked must become her husband, and adding the fact that you saved my life, that makes it official. I know we're meant to be together." She says, pulling my tie and making my head come into kissing distance. Her tongue pushes into my mouth and shivers go down my spine. I stare, wide-eyed as nobody does _anything!_

"It's destiny." Aya tells me, after she breaks the kiss. I try to make my mouth work, but it will not comply.

"Ma'am, I appreciate it, but I am not in the hunt for a family. I only did what I did because I saw that you could be killed, so I acted. And furthermore, I did not see you naked. You were covered by your towel, so the rule is void." I finally get my mouth to say.

Maya hands Aya a robe and I look away as she changes from my jacket and to the robe. Immediately, I look away in respect. She hands me my jacket and I put it on. When I look again, she is changed. When I button the jacket again, I straighten it and bow to her and Maya. "I am terribly sorry for causing this distraction, Ms. Maya Natsume. Good day." I say, and I turn and head off the campus, seeing Takayanagi as I walk out.

He's staring at me. I smile and bow to him, and step off campus. But, Maya grabs me and throws me to the ground, climbing on top of me and holding her play sword at my throat.

"I never said you could go. I have some questions, and you're not leaving until I have answers." She says to me. I grab that toy of hers and squeeze it, breaking it.

"Don't you _ever, ever, _and I mean _ever, _threaten me with toys or weapons. That's the first thing." I tell her, grabbing her kimono and throwing her off me. I get up and straighten my clothes. "And the second thing is, you're wondering how I survived the explosion while the entire bathhouse was destroyed. Simple. Mind over matter, that's how. That's all the secrets I'm gonna tell for now." I say to her as she looks up at me and I look down at her. "But, if you want, I can tell these two here" I say, motioning my hand to Aya and Takayanagi. "Your secrets. Secrets I know you don't want known."

Maya growls at me when I say this to her. When I walk away and out of sight, I change into Shadowalker and start web-slinging away into a forest. I make a web and lie down. For hours, I lie down until I hear branches move under a tremendous amount of weight. I snap up and see Aya. She doesn't see me yet, so I turn invisible, and that's the last thing I remember before everything goes black.

**(POV transition to Sarah.)**

I take over Owen's body so I can make sure he doesn't get hurt. She jumps to us, not looking. She gets caught in my web, and I change into a giant spider with the mouth of a human. She screams and struggles as I appear from the shadows. I cover her mouth with webbing and rub a symbiote spider-leg along her cheek when I am close enough. I like to toy with people, so I lean in closer, showing her a mouth of fangs.

"You might want to stop struggling." I tell her in a demonic voice. "It won't do you any good."

I sniff her and sense her arousal caused by Owen, making me lick my lips. She struggles even more, screaming, and I laugh, moving to where I am looking at her upside down.

"You're looking for ssssomeone, aren't you?" I ask evilly.

She says a muffled 'yes' and nods tearfully. "It's that boy that I saw, isn't it? The one who dressed nice."

She nods, a tear forming in her eye. I wipe that tear away, and I smile.

"You wanna know something? I can read minds." I lie. "And that boy thought of you. He thought you were crazzzzy. But, I could see that he liked you. That boy has something within him that has made everyone around him get hurt. It has caused him grief and some relief at the same time. He needs someone that can undersssstand and not run away. He needssssss someone who will stand by him. He hasssss a hard life. He is still alive, but you will not find him today. But, tomorrow, he will be on the top of the building where you came from. He had that in his mind. He wantssss to protect you."

She widens her eyes involuntarily. I lick my fangs again and lick the side of her face. "He is my guarded. I will die before he is killed, and so that is why I stop you. He is not one to trust easily. Can you be strong enough to be accepting of his secret? To deal with what it might make you feel? I need an anssssssswer!" are the words that I whisper into her ear. She stares at me while I stare at her with all eight eyes for minutes, and finally nods, her brow in a determined appearance.

I smile as I cut the webs binding her to the web, and she slowly sits up, watching me.

"The boy will want you, but I want to be sure that you are worthy of him. I will let you go, but I will watch you. Don't try looking, because you will not see me." I say, grabbing her and putting her on the ground. She runs away, screaming. I laugh hard enough for her to hear. When I let him, Owen regains control.

_Sarah! Don't ever do that again!_

_**I did it for good reason, Owen. I want you to be safe.**_

(POV switch to Owen)

While I wait for the sunrise on the Academy building I said I would be on, not sleeping last night, Sarah tries to talk to me. No response is what she receives. It is a punishment for her taking control of me without my permission. I hear Aya land on her feet behind me a few good feet away. "Aya, you might want to give up trying to sneak up and surprise me. My senses are too sharp for that." I sigh. She tenses. I can feel that through the building, as well as her moving and she runs up to me, sitting beside me. I look out of the corner of my eye and I see she is wearing a red kimono, with an umbrella and a wrapped package in her hand. She pouts at me, and sighs.

"Let me guess, that bag you are holding is an entire course of meals that you made yourself and spent a long time making, and that umbrella and that choice of attire is for me, I guess?" I deduce out loud in a rude tone.

I hear her gasp, and moan in disappointment. She gets up and walks away, muttering "I'm not worthy if you can't appreciate my effort. You don't care." With tears permeating her scent.

I sigh loudly, and it makes her stop. "Aya, please come back." I ask, looking around at her. She turns around slowly, and walks to me, her head lowered in submission. "Yes, sir?" she asks, standing.

I tap the ground beside me, and she sits on her knees. I look at her, and smile. "Aya, sit comfortably for yourself, and look at me. You don't have to have your head lowered. I want you to be strong, and proud and independent."

She looks up at me, and I smile at her as she sits cross-legged. I grab the umbrella, and I punch a hole in the roof with my free hand, making a hole for the umbrella to stand in. Angling it so Aya is covered from the rising sun, I surprise her with my actions, I can tell.

"Aya," I start, cupping her cheek and stroking it with my thumb. "I appreciate the thought, but I don't want you to be a trophy wife, or girlfriend, or need to be shaded. And also, my name is Owen. Owen Jenkins. Not 'Sir.'" I say to her in a gentler tone. Slowly, I take the bag from her hand, and I set the food out between us after I move to make room for the food.

"I appreciate the labor you went through in preparing this food even more." I say, looking and smiling affectionately at her. "You didn't need to do this. I know I will not eat all this, so I would like you to eat some of this with me." I say, taking out two pairs of chopsticks. I hand one to her, and open a container of food. It is squid with sticky rice and a dumpling.

"Oh, Owen, no! I made it for _you! _It is not for me!" she says. She starts to continue, but I pinch her lips together. "Aya, I don't require as much nutrition as a normal human. Now, I can see that you want some of this, so I want to sit here, eat with you, and watch the Tokyo sunrise."

She stares at me, smiling, and starts eating. "Thank you." She says, finishing her first container. "No problem, Aya. You made it, so you deserve to enjoy it, too. Hey, Aya?"

"Yes?" she asks, swallowing a bite.

"I'm sorry for the way I behaved towards you and your sister yesterday. I was in shock. But, that's still not an excuse."

She giggles, and eats more food. I smile at her when she looks at me. While she eats, I think about what I saw her go through back on my earth. I promise I won't let it happen again.

"Hey, Aya?" I ask.

"Hmm?"

"May I ask when your birthday is?"

"May 14th, 1998." She says.

"Wow! Mine, too!" I say, grinning. "How about a question from you? Since I asked you a question, you can ask me something?"

"OK. Ummm….. What do you like to do for fun? I like to swim, and practice swords, but I don't know anything else that I like. Maybe, I don't know, you can teach me some stuff."

I smile at her, happy. "Well, Aya, I don't really do much for fun. I train my body, and do parkour, and cook. But that's all I normally do. Wait, sorry, I also like to keep my huntin' skills sharpened."

She drops her chopsticks when I finish my additional sentence. "YOU MEAN YOU KILL DEFENSELESS ANIMALS FOR FUN?!" she screams at me, getting in my face, making me lean back.

"Hold on, Aya. I never said killing animals. I said keep my hunting skills sharp. It doesn't take any skill to take somethin's life. Hunting requires skill. Skills that are developed enough to track and find a skittish doe, and then get close enough to touch her without scarin' her off."

She sits back, blinks at me and then blushes. "Ohhh. Sorry about that."

"It's OK. The term is used for the both of them, but the killin' term is used more often."

I smile at her blush while she looks at me, and she blushes even more. I eat some more food, while Aya eyes me up and down. My head's turned away from her, so she thinks I'm not watching. Her eyes go down my arms and chest is what it looks like, and her eyes dart up to see if I am watching, and I turn my eyes before she sees. A wind blows Aya's hair across her face.

"So, what's that other thing you said? That 'porkuor'?"

"You mean 'Parkour'?" I ask as a reply. I turn to her and see her nod. I turn my body to her and smile at her, thinking of what she could go through.

"Parkour is French for 'Street Acrobatics'. You jump off walls, run along girders and rooftops, jumping from one to the other and performing flips, tumbles, slides. If you want to, I can teach you."

"Um, that sounds nice. Thanks." She says, smiling politely. Her head looks down and sees that three plates are cleaned, so she gathers those up. I grab another plate, this one with chocolates and rice with sushi, and devour it. Aya sighs, looking content.

"You know, I haven't met any boy like you."

I smile and force down a laugh.

_**Control yourself, Owen. You don't want to hurt her.**_

"Is that in a good way?" I ask.

"OH! Yes! You're the first one that hasn't been at my heels trying to ask for a date with me."

I look at her and nod, smiling. Grabbing the last three plates, I eat them, and put the dishes away for her. After that, I get up and grab the umbrella, closing it. While she watches me, I say without looking at her "That's because I thought you already had a boyfriend. A beautiful girl like you should already have one, so I thought I would be a gentleman and back away, not trying to bother you."

I look at her, and she just stares blankly. Grinning, I slowly take her hand and help her to her feet. She just stares at me.

"You know it's rude to stare, right?" I tell her smartly.

"Oh! Sorry." She apologizes, looking down and blushing.

"Thank you for being kind like that. But I'm single. I never had a boyfriend because I was scared of the other guys."

"Well, _that _I can understand, but what makes me so special?"

She looks at me and takes my hand, grinning. "I don't know." She tells me simply, shrugging. "I guess I can tell you're different than the other boys. And I can tell you respect girls. But I don't know how I can talk to you while I choke around other guys. It just seems...natural."

Laughing weakly, I say "Different. Yeah, that's me.", rubbing the back of my head with my palm. "And you're right in your assumptions. I do respect women. And being afraid of boys is nothing to be ashamed of. I know how that feels. The insecurity, the thoughts that you may not be good enough for them. I have that problem with women, so I rarely date."

I open the rooftop access door, and hold it open for Aya, making her nod in appreciation to the gesture. We walk down the halls, not speaking. After we part and I am just about to step off school grounds, Nagi and Bob walk in. Staring at them, debate in my mind whether or not I should break them.

I decide to walk off when Nagi puts his hand on my shoulder, turning me around.

"Hey! I thought you got blown up for running into that empty bathhouse!" Nagi says, sneering.

"It wasn't." I say, turning around and walking off. "Your little stunt would have cost a girl her life if I didn't shield her and duck between a stall." My voice says, gruffness poisoning the sound.

"Oh." Is his response, guilt in his voice. "Sorry, man. I thought you just wanted to die. Is the girl OK?" he asks, worried.

"She's fine." My mouth speaks. "Luckily, she didn't get hurt, but next time you pull a stunt like that, it might not turn out like this time. Don't do it again."

My feet continue and Bob says "See?! I told you someone could've been in there! Idiot!"

A smack is heard. Walking down an alley, I start feeling frustration get to me. Sarah turns into my Shadowalker costume at my mental request, and I start web-slinging. The feeling of the wind against me and the constant danger of death helps my frustration dissipate in the acrobatic stunts. Sarah asks me why I didn't hurt them, and I replied that it was because I was better than that, and I don't want a repeat of the incident with Amanda. My hearing picks up the bell ringing, signaling school starting, and I decide to look for trouble.

I look down from my rooftop, seeing some woman being grabbed into an alley. Before you could breathe, I was in the alley, breaking the thug's leg and arm, and destroying the gun he owned. I look at the woman and nod before I jump up and swing away. Eventually, I made my way to the outskirts of the city, landing near a forest. Looking into the brush, I can pick up a faint cry. Looking up, I cock my head in curiosity and close my eyes. Sounds are clearer to me when I have my eyes closed, so I turn my head and determine that the crying is coming from the woods. Sarah reads my mind, finding out that I want her to take control of my motor functions, but let me give instructions on where to go. Keeping my eyes closed, I tell her which way to go, feeling my hands grasp branches and my feet land.

Hours pass as I look for the source before I get a break. Where the sound is coming from, I now know exactly. Almost a mile in front of me. I run for a minute and finally, I see a girl, about 5, in front of me, with her back to me. Her hair is brown and she's crying with her face in her hands.

"Mommy!" she whines in a whisper. "I'm sorry for running away. I won't ever do it again! Please find me I wanna go home!" she sobs.

I sigh to myself. Slowly, as not to scare her, I walk to her and say "Excuse me, little lady."

She turns around and sees me, gasping. She starts to crawl away, scared. "Don't be afraid!" I say to her soothingly as I hold my hands in front of me. "I'm not going to hurt you." I coo, walking to her. I lift the mask, cut off into a cowl by my thought, up to my nose.

"S-S-Spider-Man?" she says. "Yep!" I lie. "I got a new costume." I tell her, not wanting her to be afraid. Spotting a branch that is a good 5 feet across, I sling a web, and pull it off, proving it. "See? If I wasn't, how could I do that?" I beam in a happy, friendly way. Smiling, I walk over and pick her up, grinning. She laughs and squeals in delight as I pick her up and lift her into the air.

"Now, what's a good-looking lady like you doing out here?" I joke with her. She smiles and laughs I put her on my arm. Her arms cling around my neck.

"I ran away. Mommy and daddy were yelling and I was scared. Mommy told me to come back, but I was bad and didn't do what I was told. Now I'm lost and scared." she explains, starting to cry as she says the last few words. My thumb goes and wipes away her tears.

"Awww. It's OK. Don't cry. What's your name?"

"Tomiko."

"Well, Tomiko, you weren't bad. You were scared." I tell her. "You didn't want Mommy and Daddy fighting, and you didn't like hearing them yell, did you?"

"Mh-hmm." she agrees, staring at me with teary eyes.

"Well, I think they're worried about you, and wondering where you are right now. They won't be yelling at each other, so how about we try and listen for them?"

"OK." she whispers. We take off and I run for a long time. Tomiko looks for her mom, and she tells me she hears her. I listen and hear a female voice yelling "Tomiko! Tomiko!"

"Mommy!" she yells, and I run for her mom's voice. My enhanced vision sees a man and woman holding each other with six others around them. Two miles away, it looks like. I run for them and slow down when I get close. Tomiko sees them and says "Mommy!"

"Tomiko!" the woman screams, holding her arms out to her. I make myself visible and walk to stand in front of the tree line, holding Tomiko. I put her down and she runs for her mother, who picks her up and hugs her tight. Her father hugs both of them, and then looks at me, his wife doing the same thing. Pulling down my mask as they walk to me, the father takes off his hat. When they get right in front of me, inches away, the father looks up at me while the mom gives me a hug. "Thank you!" the wife sobs. My arm hugs her back briefly for a second before letting go.

"Thank you for finding my daughter, sir. You have our eternal trust." the dad says. Putting my hand on his shoulder, I tell him "No thanks necessary, sir. It was the right thing to do, and that's all the reason I needed."

I run off and jump, slinging away.

_(Three hours later)_

Time passes by for me really quick. While I go and get some more supplies for my camp, I feel uneasy for a moment, like someone's watching me. I shake it off and keep on my path. When I arrive at a store, a man holds the door open as he exits so I can come in. "Thanks." I say, and receive a nod as an acknowledgment. Quickly, I get my supplies and get out. I put them back at camp, and decide to go for a swim in the ocean. Turning and making a slingshot, my body is propelled through the air, absorbing an impact that would shatter a normal human. I paddle and kick, enjoying my bare skin, with my hands and feet covered and my eyes covered too, be caressed by the water. My mind wanders back to what could be considered 10 years ago, considering Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity. I told Amanda who I was.

"_Wow." She said._

"_I know. It's weird, but I won't hurt you." I said, caressing her cheek. She leans into my hand, and we kiss. Sirens wailed, and she nodded when we broke away. I covered my head again and swung away, leaving her in the park. I help Spider-man kick Rhino's ass and web him down. He thanked me and I swung back to the park, where it was now nightfall. I landed where Amanda was and I heard her scream. I turned around._

I am knocked out of my flashback when I hear seagulls. Looking around, I notice I am nowhere any city, but near an island. I sigh heavily, and swim back to Japan, which took nearly eight hours. Pulling myself on shore, I am hungry and ready for bed. I swing back to camp and grab some fish, cooking them. When I finish, my stomach rumbles in satisfaction. I get up, put out the fire, and suddenly get kicked in my side. The impact shatters my ribs. Before I can even suit up, I get kicked again, this time in my legs, knocking me down. When I look up, I see three guys, clown masks and machine guns on them. I feel a heavy stomp on my back, and feel my spine crush. Sarah absorbs the damage, but some of it goes to my spine. I can feel my legs, but I can't move them. Sarah and I let our guard down, so her abilities in healing and defense are not up to full strength, so we can get hurt right now, and we do. A lot. I scream out loud and try getting up, but all three starts shooting me. Sarah absorbs the bullets, but she loses most of her mass trying to stop them from reaching my skin, dissolving the metal and with it, herself. I lay there unmoving, barely conscious, and one guy kicks me in the head, and everything is black.

(POV SWITCH: SARAH.)

I feel weak. My skin is gone in many places. Owen's torso is uncovered, and I want to regenerate quicker, but I haven't had any chocolate in so long. I am so weak. Owen still breathes, but he needs help. Forcing myself to get the strength I need, I change, covering his face enough so he won't get recognized, and bear Owen's weight on my own, making his legs move and force his body stand upright, using some tendrils to help. Then, I smell Aya nearby. She will help Owen, even if she doesn't know who we are. Slowly, I follow Aya's scent, going straight through woods and trees. If it gets weaker, I stop and smell where it's stronger. When I find it at the highest, it is midnight. I can tell that by the moon. I see a house with steps. I feel like I am going to get too weak soon enough, so I push it further, getting up the steps and leaning Owen against the door. I make a tendril and press the bell multiple times, before I get too weak to do that. I feel the door open and hear a girl scream before I give up and have to focus all my strength on keeping Owen covered. Because now, I only have enough energy to do that, and nothing more.

(POV switch: Aya.)

Sitting on the couch, I watch the news. They say Spider-man saved a little girl. The girl and her mom and dad said so. The guy on the news said that they describe him as black and blue, with a large wraparound spider on his chest.

_Ha! That's Venom, not Spider-Man! It's probably a guy in a costume, even _**if **_they said he swung away._ I sigh, not listening to the TV. _But, it would be nice if either one of them were real._

I get up and turn off the TV when the bell rings. I look at the clock and see its 12:15. Sighing, I go to the door. Maya probably locked herself out again. I open the door and scream as a man falls almost on top of me. Maya runs into the room as the guy hits the floor. I cover my mouth in shock. I can't see. Blinking a few times, my vision returns and I see that the guy from the news is on my floor. I look at Maya and she asks me "Who is that?"

I look back at the guy on my floor, his costume in tatters and…._moving? _Slowly, I go over to Maya and whisper "It's the guy from the news. The one that saved that girl."

She looks down at him and stares at him before saying "Whatever. Just get him out of here." and turning around.

"Wait!" I say, making Maya turn around. I turn my head to look at her and I say "We can't just leave him to the woods. He's hurt. Can't you see that?! He needs help."

"Yeah, and we can't. I'm calling the police." She says, pulling her cell phone out. I run and snatch it out of her hand, making her scream and try to get it away from me. "Maya! We need to help him! Didn't you say that if we can help someone, we help them?! Huh?! And the police?! They'll lock him up! And he hasn't done anything wrong!"

She stops trying to grab it, and stares at me.

"Maya, I promise you won't have to do a thing to help him. I'll tend to him." I plead, crying. She sighs in defeat as she says "_Fine_. I'll let him stay. But if he starts acting crazy, he goes out. Understood?"

I smile, and turn to walk back to the guy. I kneel down and put his head in my lap, noticing how he looks. His mask is covering a lot of his face, and his mouth is exposed. He's panting and sounds like he's struggling. My eyes trail down his neck and to his well-defined torso. His pecs look rock solid and his abs are washboard flat and in a freakin' _eight pack_. Smiling, I put my hand on one of his abs and gently shake him, while I look at his face for any sort of reaction. His exposed eye opens quickly and his pupil shrinks before his eye closes. He bolts up, screaming in pain. For a second he stops before screaming again, holding both of his sides as he slowly leans back, panting and groaning. Slowly, his eye opens and he looks at me, blinking.

"A-a-Am I dead? Because I'm sure I see an angel." He says. Slowly, I grin and blush. "No." I say to him. "You're in my house. You were leaned against my door. Remember?"

He frowns open-mouthed before saying "Oh. The costume must have gotten me to the nearest house."

"The costume?" I ask confused. "Yes. It's alive." He says. I gulp. Okay, this guy just said that the costume brought him here, and it looks like it's moving. This is very weird.

"As comfortable as this is, can we get somewhere other than the hall?" he asks.

I blink and say "Oh! Sure." I say, smiling at his dry humor. Slowly, I help him sit up and put his arm around my shoulder, with Maya, in her teen form, grabbing his other one. Both of us grunt as we drag him to the guest bedroom. His arm feels warm and slick, like oil. When we get him to the bedroom and on the bed, he says "I'm. Sorry that. I couldn't help you but. My legs. Are. Broken." In-between pants of air. "I. can't move them." He says. Gently I grab his legs and put them on the bed, smiling. I put my hand on his chest and lean over his face. "It's OK. I'll be right back. I'm going to get you something to drink." I say, and lean back and get up, but his hand grabs mine, stopping me. I turn and he says "Ma'am. I'm sorry. But. Could you. Get me. Some. Chocolate? Please." He pants again. His ribs must be broken, I guess, because he grimaces every time he talks.

"Umm… OK. Wait here." I say. He chuckles, and seconds later, I get why. I let out a small chuckle myself as I get the guy some juice and some chocolate, humming to myself. Maya's passed out on the couch, while I just woke up from sleeping when school got out. I'm always a night person, and it makes my sister a little annoyed. But she can kiss it. I walk in the room, juice and chocolate in hand, and over to him. I sit down on the bed beside him. He holds out his hand, and I give him the juice. Slowly, he props himself on his elbow and drinks the whole thing, sighing. I hand him the chocolate next, and he eats the whole thing quickly. A whole pound of chocolate in minutes. When he finishes, he sighs and says "Thank you." Slowly, his eye gets covered over. I scream and jump off the bed, watching his costume cover his chest and eye in seconds. I stare in shock, blinking. "I told you my costume is alive."

Slowly, I thought about what happened. He asked for chocolate, his suit is alive and regenerates, and he said that it brought him here. The only thing that I know that eats chocolate and can do what I just saw is…. A _symbiote_. "Is that…a symbiote?" I ask in a whisper.

His costume reveals his mouth, formed in a smile. "Yes. And I guess you're a huge Spider-man fan?"

I nod dumbly. "Well," he says, panting. "I am from the marvel universe."

His elbow gives out on him and he falls to the mattress. He sighs one final time, and I don't hear anything. I run over to him, gasping, and put my hands on his shoulders, but I see his chest rise and fall. He's just passed out. I don't know what to do. He could be dying and I won't even know it. He could be bleeding and need help, but I can't ask him. _Oh god oh god oh god oh god! What do I do?! OK, calm down, Aya._ This is going nowhere. Breathing through my nose, I move my hand down from his shoulders to his chest, where the symbiote covers my hand, snaking up it. I start to scream but it covers my mouth.

_**Don't be afraid. I will not hurt you**_

_Who are you?!_

_**I think you know the answer**_

_Oh. Sorry. But, what about this guy? He's hurt and I don't know what to—_

_**Calm yourself, Aya. Yes, I know your name. I heard you and the other girl talking. I want to thank you personally for saving….my host. To answer your question, the best thing you can do right now is let him sleep. He is exhausted, and when he wakes, you can help with his ribs. Bandage them.**_

_But, I don't know how-_

_**He will help you. Don't worry, he will be fine, I am already healing his wounds, but it will take a long time, months, maybe. His spine is crushed. He can feel his legs, but not move them, so he will need somebody with patience.**_

I sigh, and agree. The symbiote retracts, and uncovers the man's mouth, letting his pants escape him. For a moment I stare at how the goo would keep his mouth exposed, but always let his eye or nose poke through before covering them again. It was like looking at a lava lamp. Eventually, my legs were sore, but I didn't want to leave him, so I decided to sit beside him on the bed. His head jerks up and he grunts, looking at me like I was evil.

"Shhh. Shh. It's OK. It's only me." I coo, putting a hand on his cheek. He pants, staring at me through those two big blue slanted teardrops for eyes. Eventually, he puts his head down.

"I'm sorry, Aya." He says. I stiffen slightly. He must have felt, because he says "I know your name because the symbiote knows it."

"It's OK." I say as a reply to his apology. While I sit there, watching him, I think about what this could mean. Me being here with a stranger, on the bed; could this be betraying Owen? If this is, I don't want to do this, but I have to. Sighing, I stare at this man's mask, seeing the eyes squint. I chuckle, and curiosity creeps on me. What Are Spider-Man and Mary Jane like? It could be like the comics, but it could be the exact opposite.

Over the night, millions of questions pop up into my head. Before I know it, dawn arrives, and with it, the guy wakes up. He groans, shaking his head.

"Good morning." I say. He looks at me, and I look at him. Before I can blink, he grabs me by my throat and pushes me against the wall the bed is against. My hands wrap around his arm, trying to make him loosen his grip. He growls at me, putting his forehead against mine. He pants hard, showing a mouth of razor teeth. I whimper long. He inhales sharply, and lets go. Leaning away from me, looking at me for a second, he turns and rolls off the bed, groaning in pain before crawling away from the bed and sitting against the wall, head in his hands. He shakes his head, and says "You help me. And I nearly choke you to death."

I frown, and walk over and sit down beside him, putting my hand on his bicep. He looks at me, huffing.

"Hey. You didn't mean it, I know. I don't even know you, so I don't know how you react to things. I mean, you're obviously more than human, so you have to react different. It's my fault." I say, putting my head on his arm. He sighs and grunts in pain, holding his side. After a second, he lets go of a breath he was holding and asks "I don't suppose you know how to tape up ribs, huh?"

I smile, and get up and go to the bathroom, pulling out the first-aid kit. I walk back and sit down beside him, opening the kit and grabbing the bandages. "Um, could you sit up a bit so I can…."

"Oh! Of course." He says, leaning forward so I can get to his back. "Here" He quips, moving the symbiote from his back and torso. When I look up from finding the tape and see his back, I scream shortly, dropping the tape. I cover my mouth. "What's wrong?" he asks. In his back, there are long gashes. They go across each other, this way and that. "Does your back hurt?" I whisper. "No. Why?" He asks. Slowly, I touch one of the marks, and he hisses. "OK! Now it does!" he says.

"Hang on. I'm gonna go and get some rubbing alcohol for these." I say. Quickly, I get up and run to the bathroom, grabbing the bottle. I come back and sit beside him, frowning. "How can people be so cruel to others?" I accidentally say out loud as I dampen a cotton ball with some alcohol. When I touch one of the gashes, the man inhales sharply, and then slowly exhales.

"Again, thank you for this. I can't put into words how much I appreciate this." he says. I giggle shortly as the cotton ball turns a dark brown from the dirt. "Well," I say. "You can show your appreciation by telling me your name."

He turns his head, eyes visible, and raises an eyebrow. "Shadowalker." he says. "You're gonna have to get me to trust you more if you wanna know the big secret."

I giggle, smiling. "Really, Owen?"

He straightens suddenly, turning to me. "What did you just say?" he asks in a scary whisper, like he was fixing to kill me. I whimper and cringe away.

"Um, your mask moved away enough for me to see your top half of your face, and I recognized the way your bottom lip sticks out a little and the lack of space between it and your chin." I say, closing my eyes and turning my head, holding my hands in front of my face. I wait for the punch or slap or anything, but nothing happens. I look and he's staring at me. His breath comes from him in snorts of frustration, or anger. I don't know. He sighs, and slowly retracts his mask, looking at me.

"I knew it would happen." he says, looking down at the floor. "It couldn't be helped. You would have known, and now I can't be with you."

I blink and scowl at him. My hand slaps his face against my will, and he looks at me. "You have every right to be angry." he says. "At least now, I won't have to lie to you."

"Owen, that's not why I'm mad at you." I say, trying not to get ugly with him. He looks at me with a sadness that makes me want to cry. I blink twice, and I feel tears well up in my eyes. I breathe through my mouth, and I start sobbing. "I'm mad at you because you thought I would want to leave you, and that you would leave me because I know who you are. All because of this little thing?!" I say, my voice breaking.

"Aya. I don't want to hurt you or put you in harm's way! That's why I didn't tell you from the beginning, and that's why I want to leave you! I felt a bond between you and I the moment I saw you, and I knew that you and I could be something, but I don't go and tell every girl I meet who I am. That's Super-Hero Rule #1: never tell anyone your secret identity unless you trust them!"

"Owen! I know that! I follow Spider-Man and I have almost every issue I can find! It just... it just hurt me that you think I'm like that!" I sob, putting my head in my hands. I hear Owen Sigh, and feel his arms pull me to him. I feel my head pressed against his chest, and feel him rocking back and forth.

"Aya, I'm sorry." he whispers into my hair. "I really don't want to leave you." he says, his voice breaking. "I just don't want to lose you!" he starts, sobbing. "Because of this life, I lost my parents, my first girlfriend, everyone I cared for! Except you, Aya. I truly and deeply want to be with you, but I also don't want you to be like Mary Jane. Every day, she cries herself to sleep when peter's not there at Avenger's Tower. I don't want to put you through that pain. Peter hates that he makes his wife cry, but he has a responsibility. As do I. And I can't see myself doing anything like that to you!"

His hand rubs my back. I stop sobbing and realize that though it may seem selfish, he's doing this for me, because he's scared and he can't see anything else he can do. I put my palms flat against his chest, and push myself so I can see his face. When he looks at me, I cup his face and force my lips on his, shoving my tongue into his throat. He breathes through his nose in pants of desire, and I break away to say "Owen, I understand. But I promise you that I will not leave you because of this life you lead. I want us to have a chance. And we do have one! Please, Owen... just give us a try. I know that if we both try, we can be together. I won't be like Mary Jane. Because I know you will win. I'm sorry that you lost your family." I say, putting my forehead against his neck. "But, please, Owen. Don't leave me. You're the first good thing that's come into my life, and I need you."

His hands stop moving for a second, and then his grip tightens. He rubs his cheek against the side of my head, and finally he rests his lips on my neck. "All right, Aya. I won't leave you. And I'll stop feeling sorry for myself. As long as I can hold you every day, I'll be happy. Will you be my girlfriend?"

I smile and say "Yes!", giddy. "Yes, I'll be your girlfriend. And right now, I need to clean those wounds."

He sighs and puts me against the wall, leaning over so I can work. "Did you have to ruin the mood?" he says, playfully.

"You know it!" I say, smiling. I finish cleaning the wounds, and with his help, I tape his ribs. Owen puts his hand on the wall and pulls himself up. I put his arm around my shoulder, and help him over to the bed, where we both lay down, holding each other. I turn over so my back is against his chest, and his arm wraps around my stomach. "I love you, Aya. More than you'll ever know." he says, rubbing my stomach. I turn my head and kiss him. The longer we kiss, the more a feeling of fire grows in my belly. We break away, and I turn my head back to face the wall.

"Hey, Owen."

"Yes, my goddess?"

"What can you tell me about the Marvel Universe?"

He sighs, and says "Well, depends on what you wanna know."

I think for a minute before saying "Well... Wait! First off, how did you get here from there?"

"Well, it took you long enough to ask!" he says, laughing. I know he doesn't mean it ugly, so I don't say anything. "To answer your question, Aya, I used a dimensional transporter, given to me by Mr. Fantastic. You see, him, Iron Man, Giant Man, Peter Parker, Beast, and Bruce Banner had worked on a device called an 'Adamantium Synthesizer'. It would create adamantium in a flexible form, and the process would be cost effective. But, they couldn't get the math to work out, so they gave up. I was going through the computer data files, searching on any symbiote sightings. I wasn't looking for the ones the public knows about, but any ones that could be in hiding, so I could help them. Tony was helping me, and I accidentally hit the button for the files, and the Adamantium synthesizer pulled up. I was curious, and he told me what the plans were, and how they were scrapped. I noticed the problem, corrected the designs, redid the math and formulas, and two months later, we had a working model, unknown to the public and to any villains. And since I was only 14 at the time, I got a lot of praise from everyone. Reed gave me the transporter as a gift, and I got a five-month's supply of regeneration serum for the symbiote."

We talk for hours, and eventually, both of us fall asleep, happy.

I wake up around dinnertime, starving. Owen chuckles and says "Hungry?". I blush fifty shades of red. Owen sighs and hugs me, pulling me closer to him. The symbiote starts to creep over my back, and I squeal at the feeling. It feels like oil and tar sticking to me. Eventually, I feel it climbing along Owen's arm and onto my chest. I shudder and start to scream when Owen puts his hand over my mouth, licking my neck. "Shhhhh. It's OK, baby girl. It's not going to hurt you or take you over." he whispers along my neck. His breath hits where he licked me and I feel like I'm going to melt. "The symbiote is just trying to show you that it accepts you. Usually, they choose many hosts, but mine wants only one host, and if the host likes a girl, the symbiote must accept them, and if it does like it just did, it means that you are my mate. It's only trying to say that it likes and accepts you.". Owen makes the symbiote retreat and let me go. He sits up and pulls me with him. He grabs my head and kisses the top of it. "Your sister is almost to the door. She'll be expecting you to be in the kitchen. Go on. I'll wait." he says, hugging me. I smile and kiss his cheek before he hides behind his mask again. I open my mouth to say something, but then I remember his identity. I jump off the bed and run into the kitchen, getting the fish and rice out to cook. Maya walks in the door and I yell "Heeey! How was your day?"

"Meh." she says, walking to the fridge and grabbing a soda. "How's your patient?" she asks, taking a swallow of her drink.

"Well, his ribs are shattered and so are his lower legs. When I went to bandage his ribs, I saw that he had lost a fight with a sword. His back was covered in slashes, and all of them were infected. It turns out some dirt had worked its way into the wounds, and he almost had gangrene. But, I cleaned them and that's one less problem he has. It'll take a little while, but he will heal OK. After I make supper, he's going to teach me how to make a splint for his legs. I'm surprised at him."

"Why?" Maya asks, handing me some vegetables to chop.

"He's not rude, like I thought he would be. He reminds me of Owen. He's got that nobility and chivalrous personality."

"Uh-huh. And did he tell you his name?"

"Yeah. It's Shadowalker."

"Shad a walker?"

I laugh at my sister for a second before I say "No, Silly! Shadow and walker put together. Shadowalker. He's very stealthy."

"No shit." she says, giggling. I stir the rice and fish, adding the vegetables. "Supper will be ready in a little bit." I yell at her before I go back to the spare bedroom and help Owen to the living room and on the couch. He covers his face and leaves his mouth exposed while I help him to the living room. The living room is where we usually eat, so I put him there. He looks over to Maya and nods in greeting. She nods back and finishes her drink, wiping her mouth. I walk back into the kitchen and stir the rice again, listening to Owen and Maya talk.

"I've already told Ms. Aya in there a hundred times today, but thank you for taking me in, ma'am. I promise to repay the both of you when I am well."

"Don't mention it. Aya is the one who convinced me to let you stay."

"Well, nevertheless, I thank you."

I smile as I make three bowls of fish and rice and carry them into the living room. Maya takes hers and Owen says "Thank you, Ms. Aya." before taking his. He retracts the mouth portion and takes a bite. He nods and says "This is the best fish and rice I have had in a long time. You are an amazing cook, ma'am."

"Thank you, Shadowalker." I say, grinning. What?! Even if I know him and his secret identity, it's still cool to have your food praised by a _superhero_. And besides, he's the first person to even thank me for my cooking, let alone tell me how it is. Owen takes his time eating, staring into the bowl as if there's a secret hidden in there.

"Something wrong with it?" Maya asks, scowling him.

Owen doesn't look up, but just stares at the bowl as he says "No ma'am. It's just been a long time since I had a meal made with genuine labor of love."

I drop my chopsticks at his answer. I turn and look at him, smiling with tears in my eyes. "Oh. You mean you don't have anyone to go home to?!" Maya says, trying to make him like a burden. "No. My parents are dead and this life doesn't allow me to find a girlfriend, much less date someone." he says, smiling. Owen takes a bite and looks at me, smiling. I return the gesture and finish my bowl. Owen finishes his not long before me. I take his bowl and mine into the kitchen and clean them, returning to the living room and say "I'm sorry, Shadowalker, but, would you like to use the shower, or bath?"

Maya looks at me with widened eyes and Owen says "I would like to, but first, you and Ms. Maya use it. I am the guest."

"No." Maya says. Both of us turn and look at her. "You are right. You are the guest, but that means you can use the bath first. But, I don't know if we will have any change of clothes for you."

I feel my mouth drop in shock. My sister was being nice to Owen. "Thank you, ma'am." Owen says. I walk over to him and put his arm around my shoulder, helping him up. His legs are stronger, I can tell. As I guide him to the side porch that has the bath, I feel... I don't know what I feel. All I know is that this feels right. It feels good. I slide the door open and help Owen over to the side of the bath, where he puts one leg in, and another. He looks back to make sure Maya isn't looking, and takes off his mask, dipping his head into the water. He pulls his head up and sighs. Slowly, he pulls his shirt off, but I stop him, inciting a look towards me.

"You could damage your ribs further. Let me do it." I say, pulling his shirt over his head and sitting it beside the bath. Owen supports himself with one hand and takes off his pants and sits them with his shirt. We both agree to keep his underwear on. He sits in the bath and he sighs. I go and walk into the old storage room and take a pair of my brother's pants out, as well as a shirt that looks like it would fit. Humming, I walk back to the bath and leave the clothes at the steps. "Thank you, Aya." he says. "No problem." I say. While he bathes, I go into the house and pull the covers on Owen's bed back.

After a few minutes, I look and see Owen swimming to the steps, where I meet him. My hand extends to meet his and I help him out of the pool, aiding him as he sits down on the steps. He puts his mask back over his head and accepts the towel I hand him. He dries off his legs and chest, while I help him by drying his back. He grabs the pole in the steps and pulls himself up. I help him dress and help him back into the house and into the spare bedroom, on the bed. After I go and pick up his outfit, I bring it back to him, and he absorbs it, leaving no trace. I lay down with him and he hugs me closer to him, making me smile and moan in content.

"Is it scary?" I ask him.

"Is what scary?"

"Doing what you do. Being able to kill anyone with one punch, create weapons with a simple thought and murder anyone and not get caught. All the power inside of you. Doesn't it scare you?"

His hand moves from my stomach and goes to my hair, raking through it gently. "Well, Aya, the answer is yes. It is scary to be able to do what I can do. You never know if your powers are going to fail on you, or if someone can block your powers. There have been many times that I almost killed someone using my powers. And let me tell you something: it felt good to be able to kill. To just know I could do that. I wanted to so badly. It just would have been easier to do it. But I didn't. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't kill any of my opponents."

"That's good. It means you're human." I tell him.

"Yeah." He says.

He stops talking and turns me over to face him. His arm hugs me and pulls me up to where my head and his are level. "But that's the price of power. If you're not careful, you will lose yourself to it. It is a temptation worse than money. Power like I have is seductive. More so than any woman on the planet. It tries to make you do something wrong. It starts with a little incident, such as tripping someone with webbing. Then it builds and builds until it makes you think it's OK to kill someone. And that's what's so scary about it."

"Did you ever lose yourself to it?" I ask, inwardly scared at what his answer is. He pulls the bottom portion of his mask away from his mouth and smiles, stroking my hair. "I won't lie. I almost did once. It was with a thief. He had been hired by a gang to steal from wealthy people. I visited each one of his hits, and I found his next target. I got there just as he had been leaving. When I went to chase him, I heard screaming coming from the house. One of the children had to have a humidifier to sleep, and he accidentally knocked it over, knocking the kid out of the bed. The machine broke and the kid had to be rushed to the ER, and I was furious. I was pure rage. I followed his scent to a trailer, and I kicked the door in, seeing none of the stolen items. I questioned him, pressing my claws into his chest. Then I heard a little boy ask what was going on from behind me."

"It turns out he had returned all the stolen goods before the gang could get them. He only did it because he was out of a job and he couldn't feed his kids. The gang offered him 20,000 dollars, which he took without a problem. When I pulled out my claws, I saw that I nearly hit his heart. He would have bled out in seconds, and I would have cost the two kids a father."

"That is scary, Owen." I say, resting my hand on his cheek. "But I'm glad you held back. That means you're human and you have a conscience."

He smiles and kisses me. His tongue slides into my mouth and wrestles with mine for dominance. He wins, and he grabs my bottom lip with his teeth, nibbling on it. The feeling of fire grows, and it starts to get painful. I moan and gasp, and he stops, pulling away and putting my neck to his lips, sucking on my pulse point. I whine and moan, wanting more. In between his stops for air, he says to me "I can smell your horniness. You want me." His teeth feel sharper when they start nibbling down my neck and grab the skin over my collarbone, tugging lightly. I put my hands on the back of his head and hold him there, gasping. After a little while, he stops and pulls away, leaving me wanting more as I try to hold him to me.

"Patience, my goddess. It will only be even better if we wait."

"Owen, please!" I whisper to him, putting all the lust I can into my pleading. He laughs and pulls me to him, letting the symbiote cover me. I want to ask him not to, but all his teasing has left me exhausted. "It's OK, sweetheart. It's just for heat." He says. Something about his tone makes me relax and as I feel sleep taking me, he says to me "When you wake up, I will still be here. I promise. I will never leave my future wife."

My neck tickles now. Stirring from my slumber, I feel Owen's mouth against it, his breath tickling it. I giggle for a minute and push him playfully, but he doesn't move. Opening my eyes, I watch his symbiote slowly move around on his face and neck. Slowly, a small, blunt tendril grows and goes to my temple, sticking it there to create a telepathic link.

_** He is asleep now. Please let him rest. His wounds are almost gone, but I am still having trouble with his spine and legs. They are the most complex. When he rests, my healing is slowed, but I can tell he needs this.**_

_Um...is there something I can call you? I feel a little weird to call you 'the symbiote' all the time._

_**Hah. Ha ha ha ha! Ahh. I'm sorry, Aya. It's just different to talk with someone else. And yes. That's my answer to your question. You can call me Sarah.**_

_OK, Sarah. Ummm... If you don't mind me asking, is what he's saying true? I mean, I want to believe him, but it's still crazy. You know?_

_**I can imagine, Aya. Yes, baby. He's telling the truth.**_

_OK. Thank you. But what about Owen?_

_**What about him, Aya?**_

_Well, I feel he's hiding something from me. It... It's like he's _lying _to me. That's what it feels like._

_**(Sigh). Aya. Please just listen to me and trust me on this. Owen has had many trials recently. Trials of morality. Of trust. Of love. He's had his heart broken, and he's found out his entire life has been a lie. People who he thought he knew aren't who they really are. Right now, he's hurt. He's confused.**_

_**And most of all- he's **__**scared.**__** He won't admit it, not even to himself, but he is. He's scared that you'll reject him. He's scared that the feelings you two have are too rushed. He's terrified that this relationship will end badly. What he feels for you is true, but he's still insecure. Right now, what he needs is to face what he's afraid of, and only then will he be truly happy. He's afraid of all the emotions he has felt, and he's kept them bottled inside him. He needs to let them out and get it over with.**_

_But isn't there something I can do?_

_**Yes. You can give him support and courage to fight. You can tell him that you want to fight with him. That you want to protect him. If you tell him this, I am certain he will realize that he needs to work on improving himself before he can help you. And in order to do that, he'll need to let go of the emotions he's kept in him. Try to get him to talk to you about them.**_

I sigh, and agree. Sarah pulls herself back to Owen, and covers his face again. His breath still tickles my neck, but I ignore it. Slowly, trying not to wake him, I push him onto his back and sit up, suddenly wanting to admire him. On the outside of his forearms, the blades like Batman's gloves are there. His hands are black on one side, but a light navy blue on the other. Slowly, tenderly, I rub my fingers over the palm and jump when I feel it's like rubber. That kind of rubber on the bottom of tennis shoes, with those small bumps on it. I run my hand up his forearm slowly, watching the blades. Here, I can feel how thin it is. His forearms are very well-defined, just like his upper arms. His broad shoulders feel tense, but very strong. On his chest though, is where I like him the most. Like Spider-Man's symbiote suit, he's got a large spider with the legs going around his ribs and onto his back, except his is navy blue instead of white.

Running my hand over the head of the spider, I can feel the space between his pecs, using my middle finger to go up and down the line created by the space. Smiling, I move my hand along down the spider and go across the first pair of legs, feeling the crevice made by the size of Owen's pecs. Biding my time doing that, I finally move my hand down to the center body of the symbol, seeing how the navy blue accentuates his eight-pack. Gingerly, I trace his abs, giggling softly when I feel Sarah ripple under my touch.

My gaze goes below his waist, where I see a _very _nice bulge. Going down further, I notice his lean, toned legs, like he's been doing leg presses for years. They're not big like the Hulk's, but more like Superman's. His calves are much toned, a lot more so than his thighs. His feet hide in Spidey-style boots, with a blue stripe going down the middle. Taking my time, I go back up and put my hand on his forehead, with Sarah pulling her matter away from it. I guess she can feel my body heat. Not taking notice before, I now see a head of thick, curly brown hair on him. Some of it rests on his forehead, but most of it is slicked back, yet still curly. I sigh deeply and push his hair off his forehead, leaning down and kissing it. I rest my forehead on his and close my eyes. "Owen darling. I wish I could see what you've seen, felt what you've felt. Maybe it would lessen the pain. Maybe make it go away, even. But I just want you to be happy with me. I want you to be okay. That's all I want."

Sarah pulls herself away from his face when I lean back up. Now, I see his dark brown eyes hidden behind closed eyelids and his nostrils grow and shrink as he breathes in his sleep. He looks just like a little kid. And I just love how his lips stick out a little, how they're thick and full yet not showing his teeth in any way. The kind that every girl likes to kiss because they wrap around their own with no problem. He's got the lips that some girls like to nibble on before you break away. Just the kind I adore. Gently, so I don't wake him up, I put my hand on his cheek and stroke it, feeling the smoothness, tasting with my fingers the manliness it gives his face. He swallows, catching my attention and drawing it to his neck. His Adam's apple bobs up and down one time as he swallows, the muscles in his neck tightening and showing just how much he's fit. In my book, he's the personification of fitness. Sure, there are a lot of guys with more muscle tone and mass, but they tend to look unnatural and personally, _gross_. My thumb continues it's stroking of his cheek, while I place a soft kiss on his lips, giving his bottom lip a small nip before I let go. He moans in his sleep, and stirs a little, turning over to lay on his stomach and put his hands under the pillow, laying his head on the right side, towards the wall. Automatically, my hand goes to rest on the back of his neck

_Good God, what is _with_ me?! I can't keep my hands off him!_

I glide my hand across Sarah and rest it between his shoulder blades, watching Sarah move out of the way to let me see his bare back. Now, those gashes on his back are gone, so that's good. His arms move to get more comfortable under his head and in response, the muscles on his back ripple and contract, showing that he has super-strength and loves to keep in shape. My gaze goes down his spine and lands on his butt.

_Good God! _

He's got an ass on him. It's one every guy needs. Well-delineated, tight, but not flat and overly muscled. It's the kind you can squeeze and dig your nails into without hurting him. All girls love a tight butt that they can squeeze and get a handful of. But Owen? He has a full, tight, cute ass. Not a butt, but an ass. It's even better.

My hand moves from in between his shoulders and goes to his right shoulder blade. Knowing how it feels when it's too tense, I feel his other shoulder and I can tell he's got too many knots in them.

Slowly, I move around and sit on him, moving to straddle his waist, and being careful not to wake him up. Gently, I put my hands on his shoulders and start to rub them. I hear him gasp and look at him just in time to see his eyes open, and I can feel his body tense. I put my mouth near his ear fast, and whisper to him. "It's OK, Owen. It's just me, Aya. It's only me. You're all right."

He pants for a second, and then breathes gently and relaxes. "I'm sorry, Aya. I just haven't had a kind touch in so long. Every touch has either been deceptive or harmful. Even then, it's usually been a punch or kick."

"I'm sorry, too, Owen. I shouldn't have been so careless."

"No. Don't apologize. You had no way of knowing… wait. What are you doing on top of me?" he says, looking back at me. I feel heat rush to my cheeks and my hair covers my eyes as I bow my head. "Well….. You looked like you were uncomfortable, and you were moving your arms a lot in your sleep and groaning. So I thought: 'Maybe his shoulders are tense.' So I rubbed one, and I could feel a lot of knots. S-s-s-so i-i-I got on top of y-y-you to try a-a-a-and m-m-m-m-m-massage them for you. I know it's weird, how we're positioned. But. Honestly, I have no problem with it. I didn't think about if you had a problem with it. But, you saved my life, Owen. And I know I've helped you a lot already, but I still want to help you even more."

Silence begins, and forever it drags on. "OK, Aya." Owen finally says. "I don't mind either, honest. I'm just not used to this. Someone being as helpful as you've been. Thank you. And to be honest, my shoulders are sore. I would appreciate it deeply if you rubbed them."

I smile. My hands place themselves back on his shoulder-blades and rub them, gently working my fingers into the muscle. Owen exhales deeply as I push my palms in, making small circles into the deep muscle.

"Owen?"

"Hmmm?"

"Can you tell me what it's like? Being bonded to a symbiote? I know it's prying, but I'm just so curious. And what's it like having all those powers? I just wanna know how it feels, being able to do everything Spidey can. If it's too personal, you don't have to say anything." I tell him, straining the last part out.

He looks at me out of the corner of his eye, smiling. "You know curiosity killed the cat, right?"

I smile back. "But, satisfaction brought her back."

"Let me guess: you got that from 'Batman: The Long Halloween'?" he asks.

I frown at him and pinch his shoulder. "Ow!" he yells. "What was that for?!"

"For taking the fun out of it." I say, pouting. He grins back at me and I smile, continuing the kneading of his muscles. "Well." He quips. "What do you want to know about first?" he says, smiling.

I stop and put my pointer finger on my chin, looking up at the ceiling. "Well…. How about wall-crawling!" I say, doing a 'eureka!' pose.

He furrows his brow while I start to knead again. "Well, it's like feeling prickly on my skin. You know, like when your hand falls asleep? It feels like that. When I finally stick to it, I can still move my hand on the surface, like when you run your hands over silk or your bed sheets. But I have to pull hard of my own will to get off. Usually, my hands are the ones making me stick, but my feet can, as well. Most of the time, though, they're only for traction and an extra push."

"So it's not like the comics?"

"No, no! It's a _lot _like the comics. They just didn't get it all right. The wall-crawling is right. Except for him using both his hands and feet while crawling. I can run up the walls and stand on them, no problem. I just use my hands when crawling."

"Oh! I get it now!" I say to him, finally comprehending. Silly me! "What about being super-strong?"

"Ha ha ha. Ohh. That's a different story. It's fun! It really is! But I have to be careful where I am when I use it, even in costume."

"What? I'm confused, Owen." I whine truthfully.

He sighs as I get off, now done with his shoulders. "Thank you." He says, sitting up. I move my arms and stretch my shoulders, watching Owen as he looks at me. "Lay down on your stomach." He says, making me cock my head. "Huh?"

He smiles brightly. "Trust me." Unsurely, I lay down and do as he says, turning my head to lay on its side to watch him as he cracks his knuckles. He puts his hands on my shoulders and works his fingers into the tissue, making circles with each one. My eyes flutter and a moan escapes my lips. "Thanks, Owen. I had no idea I was this tense."

"Not a problem, sweetie." He says, using his superstrength to apply just the right amount of force to my suddenly-very-sore back and shoulders. "What you meant about your strength…..?" I ask.

"Oh! What I mean is that I need to make sure whatever I'm standing on won't cave in. It's simple physics. Now, imagine the Hulk standing in the street holding a cruise ship. He's not breaking a sweat. But what you need to worry about is the ground. If it's on the ground with nothing underneath it, the ship is fine. But now that the Hulk's holding it in the air, you now have over one hundred thousand tons being held in the air by one thing. Now, if he had Thor and Hercules helping him, then the ground wouldn't cave in, because the weight is distributed among three different support beams, so to speak. But it's only Hulk. So, all that weight is being pushed onto the spot of ground beneath his feet. So, how that transfers over to me is, if I'm holding something up, the ground beneath me has to be able to take the strain." He explains. All the while, his magic fingers work on my shoulders, and I'm in bliss.

"Mmmmmmm. That feels so great, Owen. I'm in heaven!" I breathe out. "What about my favorite power? Being able to web-sling."

"Heh! Aya, that's the one I love. There's nothing like it. It's true freedom. Nothing can hold you back. You feel the wind against you; see the street rushing to you. It's quite an adrenalin rush. You throw a web out, knowing you can't miss, and then you rush forward, all that open air just waiting for you. You'd enjoy it."

"It sounds like my kind of fun." I softly speak, closing my eyes. Slowly, Owen's hands move down to my back and begin pushing into the muscles, relieving all that pressure I didn't know I had in me. His fingers disappear, earning a moan of disappoint from me. _Why does he stop?! It feels so good. I don't want him to. _Then I feel his fists rub into my spine gently, making it pop. I scream in relief, and Owen stops immediately.

"Oh God! Aya, did I hurt you?!" he says, gently turning me on my side, holding my back and neck with his hand. "No, Owen." I tell him, smiling. I cup his cheek and run the pad of my thumb across his cheekbone over and over while he looks at me with true concern. "I just had so much tension there, and I didn't know it. It just felt so good when you let it out, I couldn't help it." I tell him, my smile widening. The more I see him like this and think about it, he's like a child. He wants to protect who he loves, and doesn't want to disappoint me. He apologizes and tells me he's just scared that he hurt me. And now, a lone tear falls from his eye, and now I know.

I'm the only one he loves. The only one he cares about truly. I'm his world.

And he's mine, too.

I move my hand from his cheek to the back of his neck and pull him to me, my forehead pressed against his. "Owen. I love you. More than anything in this world, I love you. You've been accepting of how I am and haven't been trying to change me. Everyone else has, including Maya. But not you. And I love you for that. And because of your morality. You're smart and handsome. And you haven't tried even once to try and sleep with me. You're better than anyone I know."

He smiles and kisses my nose. "I haven't met anyone like you, Aya." He says, and I know it's true. "You're someone I can be myself around. You've cooked for me, helped me when I needed it, and accepted me for how I am. You're a beautiful girl I thought I would never meet, and I'm glad I did. Because you've given me a reason to live. And a reason to fight."

I wrap my arms around him, and he does to me, squeezing gently. Slowly, I get up and walk across the room and bend over to touch my toes, sighing. Straightened, I turn and see Owen standing on his own, smiling. Elated and unable to talk, I watch him, smiling open-mouthed. He walks over to me and leans over to kiss me on the cheek. He stands at his full height and I squeal, jumping and hugging his neck. "You're healed! You can walk again!" I scream, happy for him. But instantly my happiness is shattered. Now he can leave. Now Maya can throw him out. And I won't be able to see him much. I squeeze his neck tighter, and he pulls me closer to his chest, flattening my breasts against it.

"It'll be OK, Aya. Remember. I still have a debt to repay your sister, and she'll need to keep an eye on me until I repay it." He says, putting me down. "But let's not worry about that now. Where's your sister?"

"She's at work. She won't be back until around five in the morning." I tell him, my head cocking to one side, a little puzzled.

"Well, then, how about we go to the mall? We can shop until we drop!" he says, grinning. "Besides, I need to work my legs. They've got so much energy!" he says hyperly. I nod furiously, and say "All right!", fisting the air. "Wait! What about money?!" I ask him. I know he couldn't have a job yet.

He holds his hand up and swivels it side-to-side. "Don't worry. I've got plenty of money. Before I came here, I had all of my parents' money transferred to my account, and then I put all of it into a general gift card that I can use anywhere."

"Whoa! How much are you talking about?!" I ask, wondering if there was an unlimited card number.

"Well, considering the belongings and existing money, about 2 million." he says nonchalantly, shrugging.

"WHAT!? You're telling me you're a millionaire?!" I scream, officially taken back.

"Yeah. And I've been waiting to spend it on someone other than Me." he smiles. Smiling and grinning, I go change and grab my purse, bathing before I dress and brushing my hair while I get my shoes on. Now, I've got my plain orange t-shirt and skinny jeans on, with some cute sandals. I make sure my bra straps don't show and grab my phone before I walk out to the front door. I just LOVE shopping! Especially at the mall! New stores always open up, since it's constantly under construction, so there's always new stuff! I just love it! Owen's already at the door, with Sarah transformed into a pair of jeans with a black t-shirt. Oh my god, he's hot! And the way the shirt clings to his pecs and shows his abs! Oooooohhhh, any girl seeing me is _so _gonna be jealous! Usually, I don't like making people jealous, but for this: having a god for a boyfriend; I've just gotta show him off!

"You ready?" he asks me. I nod and he holds the door for me. I walk out and lock it when he walks out. He picks me up, making me squeal in surprise, and runs to the city. When we get to the outskirts, he puts me down and we walk, while I check my hair. It doesn't look messed up, but honestly I don't care. All I want is Owen to love me. And he does. Eventually, we get to the mall, and now, the shopping will commence!

"Come on, Owen!" I say, grabbing his hand. Suddenly, I remember about fire and sonics. "Wait. Owen, are you sure you'll be okay with all this loud noise?"

He grins and laughs softly, looking down at me. "Yes, Aya. That weakness isn't a problem anymore. I don't have it."

"Oh." I smile, and forget it. I walk with him through the crowd, looking at all the stores that are now opened. One of them catches my eye down at the other end of the mall. 'Alpha Mates'. I wonder what that is. I look up at Owen and squeeze his hand. He looks down, and I point at the store, smiling meekly. "Wanna check it out?" I say. He looks at it and smiles. "Why not?" he says excitedly. We make our way over there, but while we walk, I see a dress that I've been wanting for so long on sale! Quickly, I pull Owen over to the store and walk inside, with him coming along without a peep. My feet carry me right to my target, and just as I'm grabbing it, another hand rests on mine. I follow the hand and see its owner: Eri!

Oh, God! Eri and I haven't seen each other for a year. I smile and see Yumi and Ayame with her looking at other dresses. I gasp and squeal, with Eri doing the same. We hug and jump up and down. "Oh God, Eri! It's been so long!"

"Same here!" she says, pushing me at arm's length. "Yumi, Ayame! Look!"

Soon, all four of us are hugging and squealing. Eri and the other two stands back and ask me stuff.

"How have you been?"

"What's been going on?"

"Where have you been?"

"OK, girls." I say, chuckling. "Hold on! I've been good. Nothing's been going on. And I've been here in Tokyo. I just live outside the city. Oh! And I've got a boyfriend."

"BOYFRIEND?!" all of them scream in unison.

"Aya Natsume, the shyest girl in Freshman Class, has a boyfriend!?" Eri gushes. "What does he look like?" Yumi pesters. "Is he treating you right?!" Ayame, my best friend from Freshman year, interrogates.

"Yes, I have a boyfriend! He's American, and his name's Owen. He's a sweet guy, too and very protective. But not like 'having to know where I am all the time' protective. Just 'Anyone who hurts her, I'll kill them' protective."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Yumi says, throwing her hands in the air. "But what does he look like?!"

"Oh! He's here somewhere. Let me see..." I turn around and look for him. Finally, I see him standing in front of a mirror, trying on a new black business suit. I've gotta say: Black suits him well. "There!" I say, pointing to him. I turn to look at three drooling teenage girls with open mouths and wide eyes.

"You're telling us that sexy, fine hunk of a man in the suit is your boyfriend?" Ayame asks.

"That's Owen?! Good God. You lucky girl, you! He's so cute _and_ handsome!" Eri squeals, holding her cheeks.

"You know if he's got any friends that are single? Cause if they're like him, then you need to tell me!" Yumi shouts.

"Excuse me, ladies." a voice behind us pardons. I turn and see a guy almost Owen's size, but less muscular. His face is in a sneer and I smell beer on him. His jacket is dirty and unzipped, showing his holey shirt. "I was wondering if you could excuse this lovely lady you got here," he says, looking at me. "So she could maybe get a drink with me?" he finishes. I start feeling sick and I have to breathe through my mouth. "Um, no thank you." I say, blushing and hoping he'll go away.

"Aw, come on." he croons. "I'm only asking for a drink. Maybe a bite to eat, too?"

"I already gave you my answer." I say, getting scared as he walks closer and is almost right against me. I turn around to go to Owen but the guy grabs me by my arm. He squeezes it hard, and I can't feel it. I whimper, trying to make him let go. I see him rear his hand back and he slaps me, _hard_. My head turns from the hit and my cheek is now stinging. My three friends gasp and come to help me.

"You'll stay back," he says furiously at them, pausing and pulling his jacket back to show them a gun. "If you wanna live."

They stop and stare in fear and concern. The man turns his head to me, a look of rage on it. "_Nobody_ says 'no' to me, bitch." he spits venomously. I see his hand rear back again, and I close my eyes, knowing the pain will come. I hear a grunt, and only breathing. My eyes open slowly and I see Owen standing over the man, holding his hand with his fingers dug into his palm. Owen twists his hand slowly, using his strength, and I hear the crunching of bone as he continues. The guy starts to scream, but stops because Owen now stops twisting.

"Let! Her! Go!" he says in a voice deeper than his own. This one is almost like a demon's. "Now." he says dangerously. Instantly, I feel the arm go away from mine, and I rub it immediately. I continue to watch as Owen keeps his hold on him, but takes his gun away from him. When he has the gun, I watch as Owen squeezes the man's hand until it breaks. The man begins to scream, but Owen Jabs him in the throat, making him mute. He lets go of the hand and removes the clip from the gun, holding it and the extra bullet, as well as the firing pin. He throws the gun in the trash and picks up the man, hoisting him in the air.

"Go. And never bother anyone else." he commands him. The man nods, fear all over his face, and gets thrown out the door by Owen. Immediately, he turns to me. I now see he's wearing the outfit he walked in with. I look up at him and hold his gaze as he kneels down, stopping when he's looking upwards at me. "Are you OK?" he asks. I nod and tenderly, he holds my arm. "Here. Let me see." he says. Slowly, I give him my arm, now bruised, and watch as he shakes his head slowly. "I'm sorry. I broke my promise. You got hurt." he sniffles.

"Awww!" my friends gush. I smile and kiss his forehead as he looks at me. "It's OK. I forgive you. It's an accident."

He smiles and gets up. I hug him tightly, and he picks me up to hold me, and then hug me. He kisses my cheek and puts me down. "Who are your friends?" he asks, smiling at my three besties. I look and see all three with their heads about to explode. Ayame licks her lips while Eri giggles. And poor Yumi. She's blushing like crazy and looks like she's gonna fall apart if Owen says one word to her directly.

"Owen, this is Eri, Ayame, and Yumi." I say, pointing to each of my friends as I say their names. "I haven't seen them since Freshman Year." I smile. Owen nods understandingly and bows very low. "It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'ams." he says.

All of a sudden, my stomach growls painfully, so I put my hand to it as a response. Owen looks over and smirks, making me blush. "Well. How about we get something to eat? My treat." Owen says, turning to look at my friends.

"Yeah!" they say in unison. "Time for some Zaxby's!"

"All right! Zaxby's it is!" Owen says, but turns to me and leans down to my ear. "Is there anywhere else you would like to go to eat instead?"

"Huh?" I whisper.

"If you don't want to go to Zaxby's, you and I can go get something else. It's no problem." he responds.

I smile. "No. I like Zaxby's." I say.

He stands and we go to the food court. Eri gets a salad, Yumi gets a chicken sandwich, and Ayame gets a 10 piece meal. Owen and I get a 10 piece meal with extra fries to split. The other girls and guys in the food court stare at us, and it's making me uncomfortable. Owen carries the trays, expertly balancing them on his arms and hands while we look for a place to sit. Finally, we find a spot and sit down.

As soon as I feel my butt hit the seat, I take a long sip of my Sprite.

"So how did you and Owen meet, Aya?" Ayame questions.

I swallow and say "He saved my life. He pulled me to safety when an explosion occurred." I smile off.

"Oh my God, are you okay?!" Yumi frets.

"Yes, Yumi." I chuckle. "Owen shielded me and pulled us to safety. It was only a couple of cuts and bruises."

"Ahh!" Owen yelps, holding his side, panting and shaking his head with pain on his face. "What's wrong, Owen?" I ask him. Now I remember his ribs. They're not fully healed yet.

"My ribs. They're not fully healed yet. Still hurts if I breathe too deeply." he answers.

"What happened?" Eri asks, putting a bite of salad in her mouth.

"I forgot! Owen also took the brunt of a support beam coming down on us. It broke his ribs."

"Awww!" Eri and Yumi fawn. "Poor thing."

Owen shakes his head and grabs a fork and knife, cutting up his chicken and dipping a piece in sauce. "I don't regret it. I'm glad I did, because I probably wouldn't have met Aya if I didn't." he casually says, eating the piece on his fork.

"Wow!" Ayame squeaks. "I never met a guy who ate his finger foods that way."

Owen looks at her with a grin, and laughs, shaking his head. "Usually, I eat this kind of food with my hands, as it is acceptable. But I find it crude and barbaric for a man to eat in such a way in front of women, so I always eat with utensils when I am with Aya or friends." he responds, popping another piece into his mouth. I look at Eri, Yumi and Ayame as they stare at him with disbelief. What? They never met a guy with manners?

My honey looks up from his cutting and sees their stares, and he laughs softly. "Yes, it's a shock, I know. Television and social media have made people like me, and by 'like me', I mean people with my body type, look like animals with no manners and very little intelligence, and people who only think of themselves and satisfying their desires. They're only partly right. Some guys like me are like that, but a lot are kind, well-mannered individuals who know how to behave. Fortunately, I belong to the groups that were raised right."

Ayame gulps, as does Yumi. Eri tries to find her mouth to put her fork in. I pick up a piece of chicken and bite it in half, quickly swallowing and chewing. Owen finishes his food and goes to take his trash away.

"Aya." Eri calls. "Please tell me you're not letting him go."

"Whuh?" I ask. "You heard me. You better not let that boy go, because he's good for you. He's sweet, smart, strong, and kind. Everything that a guy needs to be."

"You're lucky to be able to kiss a god every day." Yumi meekly says. "I wish I had just a guy to call my own."

"Yumi, he's not a god. He's only a guy. And he's been through a lot, too."

"Huh?!" they say, leaning forward, interested.

I huff and mentally kick myself. "He's lost his parents. But they weren't his actual parents. It turns out he was adopted. His mother is dead and his father... he's never told me about him. He saw both of his foster parents killed in front of him, and he lost his first girlfriend." I say, looking to see him glare at me with a smile and sit down.

"Don't dwell on the past, Aya." he says. "I can't do anything about it now. It hurts, but I still go on. And I found you. That makes it better to live. Because I get to see you."

I blush and feel his lips on my cheek. I go and quickly finish my food and throw away my trash. I go back and see Owen standing for me, Eri and the other two waiting. We part our ways and Owen and I go to the new store. It turns out to be a store for cosplay, specifically, half-demon and cat-boy and cat-girl cosplay. We leave without getting anything. But I go back to the store and get the dress on sale and a new pair of shoes, altogether costing over 800 dollars. Owen hands the card to the cashier and hugs my shoulder, not complaining. He grabs the bags and hoists me up into his arms, hugging me and sitting me on his forearm. Now we're going to the music store to see if there's any new music. Owen and I look and find some new Nickelback Albums and Skillet Albums. We pay for them and walk by a pet store on our way to the exit. I grab Owen's head and turn it to the store, and he smiles, shaking his head playfully. I gently nip him on the chin, and in return he nibbles on my ear, lifting his forearm to allow him access. We both laugh and go inside; the sounds of pups and kittens, as well as birds fill my ears. We walk through the store and look, passing the pups and mewling kittens. They're so cute! But nothing interests me or him, so we leave.

I hug Owen's neck and kiss his cheek, nibbling on his earlobe for a second after I pull my lips off his cheek. Sarah pinches my side gently, and I giggle. Owen looks at me quizzically.

"What?"

"Your symbiote. It tickled my side." I giggle out.

He smiles and licks my chin affectionately. I guess it's something to do with the symbiote in how he's showing affection. He walks out of the mall and goes to an alley, changing to his costume and jumping to a rooftop. I scream excitedly as the wind hits my face and Owen jumps to the edge of the city, giving one final, extra-powered leap to take us halfway to my house, bags in hand. I feel the impact of us landing and Owen changes to his original guise. I snuggle closer to him and run my hand through his hair, feeling the silkiness. Oh, how I love it. I love his soft, yet powerful hands as they touch my skin. I love his smile, and the way he sounds when he laughs. I love his voice. I love _him_. He's a sweet, gentle man who is only mean or ugly when someone he cares for is threatened. He's a hero. My hero.

Both of us walk inside and grab a snack from the pantry. Owen sits on the couch and turns the TV on to an American show I like: "Criminal Minds." Basically, it's about a group of criminal psychologists from the FBI going around and finding crazy people. I sit down beside Owen and snuggle up to him, my head on his shoulder and his arm around his ribs, holding me closer to him. I smile and I see him smile as a commercial breaks.

"Owen, I want to say thank you again. You've been appreciative of me. No one has ever been." I say sadly. It's true. Not once has Maya said 'Thanks' or 'Good Job', or even a nod of acknowledgement. Only asking where the food is or if it's ready.

"Well, I have, Aya. I deeply appreciate everything you've done. You've taken me into your home, kept my bandages changed, given me food. Heck, even a back massage." He says, chuckling at the massage. "And most of all, you've taught me what it means to be human again. For two years, I haven't laughed, cried, or smiled until I saved you. You made me feel emotions I never thought I would feel again." He tells me, rubbing my side lovingly. I feel him as he puts his lips to my head and kisses the top. "For two, incredibly slow years, I have only felt pain and rage and the need for revenge. But when I saved you five days ago, I instantly felt that I needed to protect you. My heart started beating again. You made my blood become warm, and I now know that my revenge is pointless. For so long, I wanted to hurt Carnage, but I realize he's gonna get what he deserves." He says into my hair. "You're my angel, and you've cleansed my heart."

"And you've revitalized mine." I tell him, snuggling my body closer to his. Now, I just get up and straddle his lap, my chest flush with his and my head on is shoulder, my mouth nuzzling his neck with my arms wrapped around it. I know that both of us don't watch anything or pay attention, but we just enjoy being close to each other. Owen hugs me closer to him, and I feel his hand go up and down my back lovingly.

"I won't let anyone separate us." He whispers into my neck. "That's a promise. If someone tries to break us up, I won't let them."

"I won't let them, either." I speak into his neck. "I'll run away with you and live wherever you live. As long as I get to be held by you, I'll be content even if we live in a trash can."

"I'll make sure we never do that. Because you deserve better than that." He says, hugging me closer and continuing to rub my back up and down. I feel him bury his head in my hair and breathe deeply. "You don't deserve to go through what you're going through. You deserve a better life." He whispers.

"I wish I had one, but I need to stay here. Maya—"

"Has Nagi with her." He finishes. "I have Wolverine-level senses. I know his scent, and it's all over Maya. I can smell his aftershave on her, and I can see the faint coating of saliva on her neck when I look at her." He says with conviction, like he's an attorney questioning a witness. "She'll be OK. We can leave a note telling her we left. That Shadowalker left while you were sleeping."

I smile. "Honestly, I do want to leave here, but I don't have any money to buy clothes or food. And I know that the money you have won't last long. And where will be go?!" I say, pulling away to put my hands on the couch on each side of his head to support myself. "Even if we leave, I know Maya will find us."

"No she won't, Aya." He states as if it's a fact. Both of his hands cup my cheeks. Slowly, he sits up and switches our positions. Before I know it, I'm lying on the couch and Owen's on top of me, my legs between his. I see his knees on either side of my legs, keeping me there. When I look up, I see someone different. His face is Owen's, but his eyes are different. This imposter's eyes have something fiery in them. He's looking at me with concern, truth, and a blaze of some kind. He just stares at me, and after what seems like hours, I realize what that blaze is. It's genuine love and desire. His thumbs stroke my cheekbones as he leans his head to my ear. "I can show you wonder." He whispers, his voice sending a wet feeling below my waist. "I can show you gods and demons. A place where man can become a machine of rage, and where a blind man can take on fifty men at once, and win. I can show you a nerd who has become one of the most respected heroes of the nation."

He moves to look at me in my face as I stiffen and watch him. Owen puts his lips on mine and forcefully pushes his way in, breaking away after a second of exploring my mouth. "I can show you my world. The Marvel Universe."

I gasp and feel tears form in my eyes and a smile crawl on my face. I've always wondered what it's like there. And now, I'm getting a chance to see it. But….. Maya. She needs me, and she worries about me. It's been a whirlwind romance between Owen and I, but I know he loves me truly, as I do him. I need to tell him that we need to wait. _Please, body. Work and tell him._

"Owen, I would like that more than anything. But can we at least wait? I want to get used to the idea. It's not that I don't want to go, I do! But…" I say, looking down to his thumb. He strokes my cheekbone again and it makes me look at his eyes. His face has softened slightly, and his eyes; they're still lit with that spark of love, but something else in them. He smiles and moves his hand to stroke my hair. "I understand Aya. It's a big proposal, and I just realized that it feels like I'm pressuring you. I'm sorry about that. If you truly don't want to, that's OK. I'll live here with you, on this world. But I just wanted to let you know I'm more than happy to take you there." He states. Tenderly, he leans down, supporting his body and keeping it off me with one hand, and kisses me on the lips. He doesn't give me tongue, but he just presses his lips over mine. I moan and kiss him back, forcing his lips to be covered by mine and gently rubbing the arm that belongs to the hand that's stroking my hair.

He moves the hand from my hair and holds the one I was using to rub his arm with. I take the lead and interlock my fingers with his, feeling my heart beat as well as his. Both of our hearts beat in pace with each other, and slowly, my half-lidded eyes close. Minutes later, he breaks away and I don't bother to open my eyes. I feel his hot breath against my ear. His hand squeezes mine gently. "I don't want to rush you or pressure you into going with me or having sex with me. When you're ready, _that's_ when we will go, but only if you're sure. I don't expect an answer right now, OK? All you have to do is tell me, and we'll get ready to leave. For all I care, it can be five years from now, or thirty. But I will take you if you want to come."

I move my free hand to his face and rub what feels like his cheek. "Are you leaving now?" I ask, frightened of him leaving me alone. "No, Aya." He says, making me smile in relief. "I'll leave when you want to. That's a promise."

He gets off me and off the couch. I feel his arms pick me up and feel his body turn around and drop. His right arm is under my knees and his other arm has wrapped itself around mine from behind, his chin on my head, and I realize he's cradling me. Slowly, I open my eyes halfway and look up at him. I reach up and rub his chin with the tips of my fingers. "Hey." I whisper. He looks down at me from the TV and I say "Thank you. You've done more for me than you can imagine. Like holding me." I say. I lay my head on his chest and start drawing circles on his chest, Sarah disappearing wherever I run my finger along and reappear behind it. "I can't remember the last time my own mother held me. It feels nice." My voice confesses. I snuggle deeper to him and curl up into a ball on his lap. He moves his hands for me to maneuver, but immediately hugs me to his chest when I'm situated. "It's like nothing can hurt me. It makes me feel protected. I like it. That's only one thing you've done for me. Another is you've killed my loneliness. I was beginning to think that nobody cared. Everywhere I looked, I saw girls my age with boyfriends, and even girls that were shy had someone. I couldn't figure out why no one liked me. I thought maybe it was because I was actually ugly, or everyone thought I was some crazy person. I mean, guys asked me out, but no one ever went through with going out on a date with me."

"Well, Aya. I can't answer why. You're a beautiful girl who deserves a lot of respect, and you have a lot of good things about you."

He makes me smile again. He always makes me smile. A pregnant pause follows, but Owen at last says "Aya."

"Yes, my love? What is it?" I ask sweetly.

"How about, later on, you and I go to a nice restaurant? You can wear that dress you bought, and maybe after, we can stop by someplace? Maybe get some ice cream, or frozen yogurt? Or if you want, we can just get dessert at the restaurant. And afterwards, we can go to the park. Sit by a lake, watch the stars. I heard there's going to be a meteor shower tonight. Maybe we can find some trees. I'll make a hammock web, and we can just lie down and watch it, not having to worry about anything." He offers in a low tone. It's not seductive or sexual, but it still sends shivers down my body. I smile yet again and pull away enough for me to look at his face. He just asked me out on a date. Our true first date. And he has it all planned. But yet, he still asks me if I want to do something different, but indirectly. To show me he respects my opinions and wishes.

"Yes." I sigh. "I think I'd like that."

He grins and lets me get up. Now I have to do my makeup, take a bath, brush my teeth, and make sure I look good, the whole nine yards. Owen's talking to someone on the phone, but I can't worry about that now! I have to get ready!

**POV SWITCH: OWEN**

I hang up on the limo service and go to the outside bath, making sure Aya's not using it. Quickly, I strip Sarah off and grab the shampoo and body wash someone left. I work the suds into my hair and dip my head under to rinse it out. After three rounds of washing my hair, I scrub my body with a rag and do my legs, too. Quickly, I get out and dry off with a towel from a rack I didn't notice. I bring it to the dirty cloth bin and throw it in, Sarah already covering me while I walk inside. Quickly, I get into the spare room and open the symbiote pocket storage dimension, Sarah spitting out my regular, earth-bound suit. It's a solid red tie with a white t-shirt and a white button-down shirt with a belt and black pants and a blazer, also black, with some dress shoes and socks. Sarah hides inside my body, and I get dressed, pulling my pants on and tying my shoes.

_**You know that this is good, right? You're letting some of the anger go.**_

_How?_

_**You asked her out. You put your anger into your words, but the anger turned into passion and feverous language. Either way, it helps to alleviate it. When was the last time you worked on your book?**_

_Before Amanda was killed. You know that, so why ask it?! It's pointless!_

_**Unless I am reminding you. You can use the book. Pour your emotions into the words as you type. Tell the world your pain. Let them know what you feel. Let them know how much you love Aya! Write what you truly feel for her. I know Amanda is no longer in your heart. You've moved on.**_

_I know I have. Thanks for stating the obvious._

_**But the anger for my grandfather still lurks in your soul. Owen, remember what you saw in **_**Spider-Man 3**_**? You learned revenge and anger can be like a poison. Before you even know it, you can lose everything and become something you try so hard to fight. Please, Owen. If not for me, do it for Aya. She deserves to have you unstressed and undistracted. Writing helps.**_

I sigh as I buckle my belt and tie the tie. Sarah's right. I need to let this anger go. I can't change the past without destroying the present, but I can fight in the present to change both it and the future. I need to do it for Aya, as well as me. I pull my blazer on and button it up. Now I need to call the restaurant, as well as _choose one_. Quickly, I grab a phone book and find the best restaurant I can see. Finally, I find a place called "Restaurant Constellation." I jab the number in and hear the ringer three times before someone answers

"_Bonjour._" A man says. "_Do you have a reservation?_" He asks me in French.

"_Non, monsieur, but I would like to see if there are any open spots for tonight at your restaurant?_" I reply, speaking in French.

"_Ah! You are in luck monsieur. We have a couple who cancelled just ten minutes ago. It is in the VIP section, on the balcony overlooking all of Tokyo. It is paid for, so it is no charge for you. Would you like to reserve?"_

"_Oui, monsieur. The name is Jenkins. Two people will be attending, and may I ask if it is negotiable for the time?"_

"_Ha ha! Monsieur, it is for the sunset at eight o'clock. You have two hours, no more or less. Au revoir!" _and the guy hangs up on me. Oh well. I walk back into the living room, waiting for the limo. The minutes pass by quickly. I don't sit down. I don't watch TV, and I don't get on my phone. Instead, I use Sarah's tendrils and make spider webs all over, targeting places on the ceiling and wrapping a lamp in a cocoon, that sorta jazz. I reabsorb the webbing and see that it's now 6:30. Now, I hear Aya walk out of her room and into the living room. When I turn, I see an incredibly beautiful goddess.

Her hair is like it was before: long locks going past her knees and a small amount of bangs. Her cheeks have a little blush on them, but only an incredibly small amount. The dress, rose-colored, goes to her ankles and reveals a little bit of the top of her breasts. The small of her back is bare, but only along her spine. Her heels click softly as she walks to me, staring at me. I smile and inhale deeply through my nose. Her scent is untouched. It smells like it should. Jasmine and honey, with vanilla flower. I love it more than anything. The scent of shampoo and body wash only enhances the scent.

"You look like a goddess, Aya." I say, kissing her head.

"Thank you. You look good, too. Black suits you well." She says, looking up and down. "The symbiote is pretty good at mimicking."

"It's not the symbiote. These are unstable molecules. Clothes made from them." I say. "Really? Where did you get them?" she asks, mouth hanging open.

"Symbiote has a pocket dimension for storage. They've been in there. Best part about these? They can't get dirty or rip or tear." I proudly say, smiling.

She pouts and pushes my stomach playfully. "Lucky." She sulks. I smile and hug her gently. "You know you look cute when you pout like that." I tell her.

_Honk Honk!_

"Well, I guess the limo's here." I state, walking to the front door and holding it open for Aya.

She places a hand over her heart in surprise. "A limo?!" she asks, running to the front door and looking out. "Of course. Since this is our first date, I wanted it to be memorable. And in my opinion, a limo helps."

She turns her head and looks up at me teary-eyed. "It can be in a bathroom and I will remember and cherish it forever, Owen." She says. She sniffles and wipes her eyes as a tear starts to fall. "Oh no!" she laughs. "My makeup!" she complains. I remove her hand and look at her face. She isn't wearing mascara, so she's OK. "Aya, there's nothing wrong. You're gorgeous. If anyone else says anything else, I'll make sure they can't say anything at all."

She frowns and pushes my hand away. "Owen. I want you to promise you won't hit or kick anyone tonight. No fighting. I don't want this to be ruined."

I sigh and bite my lip. Fighting is my instinct, not running. But this is Aya. If she doesn't want me to fight, I can manage. I smile and pick her up bridal-style, kissing her softly. I break away and tell her "I promise. No fighting tonight."

She smiles and puts her arms around my neck. I walk out of the house and close the door behind me with my foot. I carry her down the steps and to the limo. The driver holds the door open for us, and I thank him as I sit inside holding Aya. She gets out of my lap and sits right beside me, hugging my left arm and resting her head on it.

"Where to, Sir?" the driver asks, looking back through the rearview mirror. "Restaurant Constellation. And please be quick. We need to be there in an hour."

"Yes, Sir!" he says, and goes off. Aya lifts her head off my arm, gasping. "'Restaurant Constellation'?! That's so exclusive! How did you get us in, honey?!" she asks me feverishly. I look down at her and smile. "I got lucky. Simple as that."

Aya lays her head back on my arm and moans dreamily. "I've always wondered what it's like there. When I go to school in the morning, I always see people there. Even when I'm walking back home, I see people there in line." She says. "But I've never been able to get a table, even if I'm alone. It's been somewhere I wanted to go for a while." She hugs my arm tighter and rubs her head against it. "And now I get to go there with you. Oh, Owen! You're too good to me."

I turn my head to look at her. My thumb and index finger grab her chin and lift her head so she's looking at me. "Nothing is too good for you. If it is possible, I will get you what you want. But I can't promise that I will succeed. But I will try."

She smiles and rubs my cheek, her hand warm and soft against my skin. "The only thing I want is you, Owen. I don't want the world. All I want is to be the only girl you'll love now."

I swallow, a sudden lump forming in my throat. "Okay, Aya. I'll love you only. No other girl." I say, kissing her after.

"We're here, sir." The driver says. I look out the window and see a line of people out the door. Snorting, I open the door and get out, holding my hand for Aya to take. "M'lady." I say to her. She takes it with a smile and very womanly gets out of the car, walking with a grace unlike anything I've seen. I just look ahead to the door, ignoring the disgusted and surprised stares I'm getting by the posh, rich snobs. God, I hate these types of people. Of course, they think they're better than other people who actually have to work. I feel Aya lean into me and squeeze my arm. "They're staring at us." She whispers uneasily. I put my hand on one of hers and pat it. "Just ignore them. Look ahead. They can't hurt you. I won't let them. And I doubt that they will try to." I whisper as we get to the front desk.

"_Bonjour, monsieur._" The guy at the desk greets. "_Do you have a reservation?_" he asks. His tone is slightly frustrated and annoyed, I can tell. A man in his 20's, I'm surprised he was able to get a job here. He has a relation to someone who works here. Either that or he's a _really _good worker and waiter. "_Oui, monsieur. The name is 'Jenkins'._"

The boy looks down and scans the list, running his finger down a list. "_Ah! Here we are. Please follow me._" He says, grabbing a couple of menus and escorting us to our table. "You speak French?" Aya asks. I look down and see a confused look on her face. Ha ha! She looks like a little kid! A cute little kid. I smile. "Just some. I know Spanish, but that's the only language I am fluent in. I know some French, German, and Japanese, too. But that's about it."

"Well, it's okay." She says. The guy walks us to the top floor and onto the outdoor dining area. "_Here you are Monsieur and Madame_."

"_Merci_." Aya and I say in unison. I pull out her chair and scoot her in when she sits down. I sit down across from her and watch her as she looks over the railing and at the sun setting. "Wow!" she whispers in genuine awe. "I've never seen Tokyo from this view. It's great. And the sunset!" she says. She turns her gaze to me, an excited smile plastered where her mouth used to be. She giggles lightly, her teeth showing from behind her lips a little. "I've never seen anything so beautiful."

I turn to the violet, orange, and pink sky, a smile slowly forming on me. "I've seen better. Plus I've seen something even more beautiful." I quip.

"What?" she says in an annoyed tone. I look out of the corner of my eye and see her with her arms crossed over her chest and her bottom lip sticking out a little. My smile turns to a grin at her positioning. My head turns to look at her directly, and I say "I'm looking at her right now." With a smirk.

She blushes and puts her forearms on the table with her hands together, fingers interlocking. Her head drops and she looks at her hands. "Owen, I'm not beautiful. I'm only pretty. Maya's way more beautiful than me. I know everybody thinks so. She's smart. She's a better fighter than me, can control her body and change from age to age, and she can beat me in a duel every time." She says. A tear falls off her face and her hands tighten their grip on each other. "You should be with her. Not me. She has a lot better qualities than I do." She tells me, her voice breaking.

I clench my jaw. Anger gets in me like air. Maya has this poor girl thinking she's so unimportant; it makes me beyond pissed off. I reach over and cover her hands with mine, grabbing them and unclasping them. I take one in each hand and rub the back of her hands with my thumbs, my mouth in a firm line. I look directly into her eyes and hold her attention. "Let's talk about this later. Don't think about that. Just enjoy the dinner. Please. After this, we'll either go get some ice cream or have something here. You decide." I say, smiling after I plead. The waiter comes and takes our orders for drinks. He comes back and takes our food orders. Both of us decide on the Parmesan Chicken. Thirty minutes later, our food arrives. We eat slowly, enjoying our time. At least, I enjoy it. Aya seems distant. She's not smiling. When we finish, I ask Aya if she wants dessert here, or if she wants somewhere else. She ponders for a moment, and then decides to get some frozen yogurt. I smile, and we leave. I pay the bill and find our limo parked far down the road. We walk to the limo, and when the driver asks where to go, I say "Just drive around the food places. Ms. Aya will let you know when to stop." He nods in the rearview and takes off. An hour later, we stop at a small store on the corner in downtown Tokyo. We get out, go in, and get our dessert. Aya gets a new one: Pumpkin and Vanilla. I decide to try the Sweet Almond Chocolate. We walk out to the limo and I direct him to the park. He gets us there in ten minutes. I help Aya out of the car and walk her along the path for a while before picking her up and carrying her through the woods. I find the clearing and spin the web, jumping onto it after I finish. I lay Aya down and sit down beside her.

"Aya? Why would I be happy with Maya?" I ask her. I look down at her and see her glaring at me with teary eyes. "My God, were you even listening?! I told you! She's a lot more beautiful than I am. You'd be better off with her!"

I sigh tiredly, stopping her rant. I look down and shake my head to her. "Aya, I am already with a girl that has made me happier than my first girlfriend ever did. She has a lot more attractive qualities than Maya, though I believe she can't see them." I say to her, lying down beside her and propping myself on my side with my elbow. "Let me tell you about her."

I run my free hand through some of her hair, lifting it. "Her hair is the color of the sweetest caramel, and it smells even sweeter. I love how it catches the sun and blows it's scent through the air with the slightest wind. Wherever I am, I can smell the tempting aroma. It makes me want to go wherever she is." I let her hair fall through my fingers and when my hand is empty, I stroke her cheek with the back of my hand. She sniffles a little, but watches me, and I can see a smile start at the corner of her mouth, but it goes away. "Her skin is incomparable in color and beauty. It's softer than the finest silk. The sun shining on it makes it only even more captivating." I lean down and kiss her on the nose. "Hey eyes are the richest of browns, and I can get lost in them for hours. These eyes make my heart shatter when tears are in them. They are meant to shine, and not cry. I feel like tearing myself apart when the beautiful girl cries." My lips go on hers and never envelope them for the mere seconds I am on them for. I break away. "She has a smile that makes my world shine whenever I see it, and a frown that tears me apart. But her voice is like that of an angel's. Her laugh is like that of a chorus of the greatest voices. It makes me want to laugh along with her, even if I don't get the joke." I move my hand from her cheek and gently move it to her sternum. "She has a kind, generous heart. Never have I seen her do anything selfish or mean." I move my hand down and put it on her stomach, gently rubbing it. "She has a beautiful figure. Her breasts are perfect, and she can take care of herself, because it shows." I move my hand over and bring her hand up to my mouth to plant a small kiss on the back of it. When I pull my lips away, I say "She has hands that are kind. They are smooth, yet firm and strong. They can handle a blade well. That much, I can see. She has hands that cooked for me with true and genuine affection. Her hands took away my pain. She released all the tension in my shoulders on her own will, and when she wasn't even asked. I appreciate that. These hands helped me to realize that I had myself stuck in the past. I still felt responsible for something I didn't do. And she helped me get over it."

I look at her and see her smiling with tears in her eyes. "Can you guess who this girl is?" I ask, but then go and kiss her deeply, gently running my tongue over her closed teeth. I pull away and look down at the most beautiful girl I have ever met. "It's you, Aya. You're the girl I love, and the girl that no one will pull me away from. You're better than your sister in every way possible. I would never leave you for her, or anyone else. And don't you ever think that I would." I say, putting as much sincerity and love into my voice as I can, hoping she can hear it.

She sniffles, tears beginning to fall. Her sniffling begins to turn into sobs quickly, and before I can even think, she bolts up and wraps her arms around me, burying her head into my chest. She grabs fistfuls of my blazers, and squeezes them. I gently hold her head to my chest and rub her back.

"Owen." She sobs. "Nobody ever told me what you did. You've given me life. What did I do to deserve you?" she sobs out. She continues to cry and sob hard. "Maya has been so mean to me. She has made me do everything except get a job. Isn't it supposed to be the older sister who takes care of the younger one?"

I pull her into my lap and hug her as hard as I can without hurting her. Her scent hits my nose with the force of a freight train. I breathe it in deeply and bury my nose in the source. It's so addicting, I can't help it. She continues to sob. "I'm sorry, Owen." She gets out. "I'm just so overwhelmed with all that you've done for me. You've opened up to me, and you listened to what I had to say. You've been so concerned with my safety more than my sister ever has been. And you haven't asked for anything in return for what you've done for me."

She pulls her head away from my chest. I watch her as she pulls her knees into my lap and I move so she can sit on my lap on her knees. She cups my cheeks and kisses me forcefully. I widen my eyes in surprise, but I close them and kiss her back. Her hair brushes my cheeks and her hands pull me closer by my shirt. I feel something stir inside me. It's not Sarah. I don't care. All I need is her. I cup her cheeks while she does mine, and I pull her face closer. My breath quickens. My heart starts pumping harder and faster. Thunder booms overhead, but we don't stop. We break away and look at each other, words not needed. We can see everything we want to say in each other's eyes. I wrap my arms around her waist and nuzzle her neck. She hooks her arms under mine and rests her hands on my shoulder-blades. I need her more than anything. Her nails dig into my skin through the fabric, and my hands caress her sides, sliding up and down. I lift my head just enough so my lips brush against her ear, and seductively whisper "God, you're so beautiful. I can't believe anyone would tell you otherwise."

She moans when I take her earlobe in my mouth and gently nibble on the end, flicking it with my tongue now and then. "Owen, _please_." She whimpers. I let go of her earlobe and gently nip at her neck, trailing down until I get to where her neck and collarbone meet. Gently, I suck on the skin and pant through my nose. She gasps and yips slightly. I chuckle against her skin, and I feel it warm up under my lips. "Don't laugh." She whimpers sadly, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's embarrassing. I hate it."

I bite into her skin a little, just enough for my teeth to barely leave a mark. She screams lowly for a second. I gasp after I hear her. Quickly, I lift my head and look at her face-to-face. Her bottom lip is being nibbled on by her teeth, and I can smell fear begin to taint her scent. I swallow the bubble of air in my throat and breathe raggedly. Slowly beginning to shake my head, I tell her "Aya, I am _so _sorry I did that. I didn't mean to do that." As I stare into her scared eyes. My fingers from my left hand go to barely graze the site. My lip quivers gently in self-disgust. _What in the HELL did I do that for?! I should NEVER hurt Aya_?! I lower my head and look away. "Why?" she asks me in a whisper.

"When you said that you hate something about yourself, something took control. I didn't mean to hurt you." I lift my other hand and rub the back of my head in shame. "It felt like I had to warn you not to belittle yourself, or something like that. I don't know, Aya. And if you want me to leave you alone, I will."

She doesn't say anything for what seems like an eternity. And then my hand I forgot I still had rubbing her bite mark is held there, all my fingers now flush with her skin. "Owen. You don't have to do that. I don't want you to. I was just surprised and scared a little. That's all."

I look at her and smile, giving her a hug. I wrap my arm around her waist and drop down from the web, slowly descending with a webline. When my feet touch the ground, I bend my knees a little and set Aya on her feet. We walk back to the pathway side-by-side, one arm wrapping each other, my forearm around her shoulders, and her entire arm wrapping around my waist. We pull each other closer and walk to where the limo is, the driver slouched in his seat, snoring. I tap on the car before I open the door to allow Aya to crawl in. I close the door behind me as I sit down with Aya beside me. "Where would you like to proceed, sir?" the guy asks. "Home. Where you picked us up."

"Right away, sir!" he states and drives along. Aya leans her head on my arm and yawns.

I see the driver smirk in the rearview, a smile in his eyes. "Well, sir. I guess you two had a busy night."

"Well, sir, I believe we did. This girl is the world to me. I told her that tonight. And I'm going to make sure that I show it each and every day."

The guy gets a glance quickly through the rearview. "I can see you truly care about her, son. I hope she can see that." He says, and I see a tear go down his wrinkled face. "I hope she truly does."

We get home when the sun comes up. Aya fell asleep on the way here, so I gently pick her up and carry her out of the car. The driver holds the door open for me, and I say "Thank you."

He nods to me with a smile and gets in the limo, driving off. I sigh, and walk up the stairs, shaking my head smiling. I gently grab the doorknob and twist it, but someone punches me through the door. The wood shatters and so do my ribs. I hold on to Aya, who's now screaming, awakened from the shattering of the door. I land at the bottom of the steps, taking the full impact. When I look up, I see six people walking down the stairs, Maya in tow, dragging her by her arm.

_**Owen, let me help. We need to suit up.**_

_No! Aya and Maya are here. And these guys would see me. I don't have to worry about Aya, though, but I do about these guys._

I get up and help Aya do so, as well as Maya. I look back at the enemies and instantly start my analysis. Five male, one female. One has a bo staff, and he's lean and my height. He'll have range. I need to expect that the staff can extend, just to be safe. The girl is holding throwing knives. Most likely she has close-quarter combat blades, too. They might be poisoned, too. One guy has a Luchador mask on, and he's very buff. He'll have a lot of power in his attacks, and maybe speed, too. I'll have to be quick and precise, as well as strong in my attacks. He knows wrestling, that's obvious. If I can be fast enough, I'll be done quickly. The guy with the blonde hair and elongated tongue has fire attacks. But he's cocky and short-tempered. I can be done with him. I just have to get in close and get his nerve point. The last two guys will be a problem. One has a gun, and he's trained to use it, too. He can fight well, but I can see how he holds on to that gun. If I can block the barrel with something, a pen maybe, and time it just right, he'll be done instantly. The last guy is the toughest. He's got speed, agility, skill, and power. I'll have to tire him out, first.

_**Owen.**_

_What?_

_**I have to let you do this alone. Without my help.**_

_What?!_

_**Owen, there's something I have to show you. I've been looking through my great grandfather's memories, and I found something.**_

All of a sudden, I see my mother, Ann Weying, on a hospital bed. But she's different. She has her ears on the top of her head, and they're furry triangles. Her canines are sharpened, and her fingernails are claws. _"What are you doing with my son, Eddie?!" _she asks, looking at me. I watch as my vision moves down and a little child with brown furry triangles and little marks on his face being cradled by two black arms. A tendril goes and caresses the sleeping child's cheek. _"You mean 'our son', Annie. He's our son, and I want him to be safe. He won't be here. And he'll be ridiculed if he looks like this. So,"_

The tendril sharpens and pushes itself into the child's arm. The child wails and his ears go to the side of his head, and his markings disappear. _"What have you done to Owen?!"_ Ann, my mom, screams. I know Eddie Brock is my dad, because I had a blood test done. But I didn't know my mom was his ex-wife. Before I know what happens, I jump out the window and throw a webline from the back of my hand. Sarah pulls me back to the present and I huff, an angry look donning my face.

_What am I? Am I a freak?!_

_**No, Owen. Your mother was a kuzuri demon. And you know your father is only symbiote-possessed, but human. That makes you….**_

_A kuzuri hanyou. A wolverine half-demon. But if I am, why don't I look like what I was when I was a baby? Sarah, I'm so confused right now, and I can't be right now_

_**Owen, he injected you with a suppressant for your demon half. It was about to wear off when I bonded to you. And because it was in your bloodstream, I started to help create more. If I'm right, you're more powerful than you are when you're bonded with me. And so if I remove myself from your system, you'll stop being suppressed. But it might take a minute because of your system.**_

_Fine. Do it. But go to Aya and give her some boost. Don't bond or cover her. Just give her some strength, speed, agility, reflexes, Spider-Sense, and durability. But no wall-crawling or web-slinging._

_**Okay. I'll get a telepathic link between you and Aya just long enough for you to explain.**_

_Hurry up._

She goes down my pants leg and slithers over to Aya, covered by the night. I hear Aya gasp and hear her thoughts.

**What's crawling up my leg?!**

_Aya, calm down. It's me, Owen._

**Owen?! What's going on!?**

_Calm down. Don't look to me, or speak out loud. The symbiote, Sarah, set up a telepathic link between us so I can talk to you. I'm going to give Sarah to you, and she's going to give you a boost in strength, speed, agility, durability, reflexes, and give you a Spider-Sense. She's leaving me, but she's not going to bond to you. We're testing out something. Just go along right now. Protest and get mad at me later, if you want._

I get Sarah to leave me, and instantly, my body changes. I shrink to 5'11, and my muscles decrease. They're still much toned, but not like they were. They're leaner.

"Boy." The toughest guy says. "I don't know you, and you're probably not with them, so I will let you leave now. We are the Executive Council of Toudou Academy. We are here for Maya and Aya Natsume. They have been skipping school, and such behavior is not tolerated at the Academy. They will be punished."

He snaps his fingers and the guy with the fire attacks and glasses sneers while he walks to us, fireballs growing in his hands. He starts cackling and begins to run down the steps. "Here I come, Ms. Aya. Ready or not!" he says, laughing. He throws a fireball towards Aya, and instinctively, I jump to shield her at the last second, taking the attack and burning my skin and muscle. I fall as a landing to my leap, and I scream as dirt and tiny pebbles get into the burns and rub themselves into my exposed muscle. Aya goes over to me. "Owen!" she screams. I breathe raggedly, pain seeping into my system. I look at Aya and can see only half of her face. Out of the other eye, I see only black. I smell burning meat, and tears fall from Aya. Dammit. Sarah was wrong. The guy laughs again, and walks over to me, fireball in his other hand. With his bare one, he grabs Aya and pulls her up, burying his nose in her hair. I get mad. Aya just cries and looks down at me, hurt and pain riddling her face. The man bends down over me and licks his lips. He whispers low to my ear "Should've been smart, boy. Now you're gonna die. But don't worry about your little lady here. I'll make sure she is satisfied before she dies. But personally, I like it when they're a little charred and a little less alive. They don't put up much of a fight." He laughs and throws Aya to the ground, and raises his hand to throw the fireball.

Before I know it, I'm off the ground and holding the man's hand, snorting for breathing. My body shakes as I bare my teeth and squeeze his hand. I hear the satisfying crunch and throw him back to his gang. And that's when the pain begins.

**Author's note. hey guys! i know i rushed the romace and relationship, but i just wanted them to get together now, because i have more in store for them. i want to thank Rumiko Takahashi for creating Inuyasha and giving me the inspiration for the story, as well as the Marvel Comics company for creating the symbiote, as well as the tenjho tenge creators. please no flames, ok. i will report anyone who starts harassing me about the story sucking.**


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